England Under-20s' bid for World Cup glory continues on Wednesday evening, as Italy Under-20s lie in wait for their last-16 battle at the Estadio Unico Diego Armando Maradona in La Plata.
The Three Lions topped Group E to seal a straightforward route into the knockout rounds, while the Azzurrini finished second behind Brazil in Group D.
Match preview
Already assured of a top-two finish in Group E before rounding off the section against Iraq, England laboured to a drab goalless stalemate on Sunday, albeit one that proved inconsequential in their bid to qualify for the last 16 as group winners.
Ian Foster's men - who also missed a penalty at the weekend - squeaked by Tunisia 1-0 before coming up trumps in a five-goal spectacular with Uruguay - prevailing 3-2 - to keep their hopes of a second Under-20 World Cup crown alive following their memorable triumph in the 2017 edition.
Despite their status as defending champions, the Three Lions failed to qualify for the tournament four years ago but are well on their way to righting the wrongs of 2019, having reached the knockout rounds for just the sixth time in their history.
Finishing one point clear of Uruguay in Group E, England's meagre tally of four goals was the joint-lowest of the six section winners alongside Gambia, but Foster's men have strung together a 10-game unbeaten streak in all competitions since a 2-0 loss to Poland in the Under-20 Elite League last March.
While England were able to take their foot off the gas in their final group game, Italy had it all to do during their encounter with the Dominican Republic after a mixed start to proceedings in Group D.
The Cesare Casadei-inspired Azzurrini put Brazil to the sword 3-2 in their opening encounter, but a 2-0 loss to Nigeria on matchday two left Italy three points adrift of their African counterparts, and they could ill-afford any slip-ups against the section's whipping boys Dominican Republic.
Thanks to another two goals from Casadei either side of a Giuseppe Ambrosino effort, Carmine Nunziata's side ran out comfortable 3-0 winners to sneak into second spot, pipping Nigeria - who qualified as one of the best third-placed teams - to a top-two berth by just one goal.
Following a few scattered quarter-final appearances and a spate of failed qualification periods, Italy have begun to make a name for themselves at Under-20 level, reaching the semi-finals in both of the 2017 and 2019 tournaments and taking the bronze medal home in the former.
The Azzurrini's record against England leaves a lot to be desired, though, as they are winless in their previous six meetings with the Three Lions, losing their first four showdowns before most recently holding on for a pair of 2-2 and 1-1 draws in the Under-20 Elite League, and a quarter-final with either Colombia or Slovakia will await the winners of Wednesday's intriguing encounter.
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