Gareth Southgate insists Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips will not be fazed about going up against Italy's much-lauded midfield, pointing out they coped well despite their relative inexperience against two modern greats in Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
Italy have enjoyed almost universal acclaim for their performances at Euro 2020, with their run to Sunday's final seeing them extend their unbeaten run to 33 matches, a national record.
A lot of the praise has been centred around their midfield trio of Nicolo Barella, Jorginho and Marco Verratti, the latter two in particular.
Jorginho carries out an important function as their deep-lying playmaker, and his influence is highlighted by the fact he has completed more passes (390) and had more touches of the ball (503) than any of his team-mates, while his 38 instances of regaining possession and instigating passing sequences is 10 more than anyone else in the tournament.
As for Verratti, the Paris Saint-Germain star's 12 key passes is bettered by only Kevin De Bruyne and he leads the way in terms of involvements in open-play sequences that end in a shot, averaging 9.2 every 90 minutes (players with at least 165 mins played), which paints a picture of not only great creativity but also significant impact generally in Italy's build-up play.
Yet Italy struggled in that area against Spain and were subsequently overrun at times, their 0.8 xG to La Roja's 1.5 proof they were somewhat fortunate to get past Luis Enrique's side via a penalty shoot-out.
As such, Spain essentially highlighted that to dull Italy's strengths they need to win the midfield battle, and Southgate feels his players in that area are up to the challenge.
"I think when you're coaching a team, you watch everything and you have to decide the most important information for players, not flood them with too much, adapt the game to our strengths and highlight potential weaknesses," Southgate told reporters ahead of England's first major final in 55 years.
"Of course there are fantastic players all through the Italy team, they've a good tactical plan, an experienced coach and an amazing record over last 30 games or so, we are very aware of that.
"But players like our two midfielders [Rice and Phillips], they've played beyond their experience in this tournament and they've already played against Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, so they've had to adapt to these midfield players with great European experience and they've done that brilliantly.
"We're different, we have our own strengths, own style of play, which is geared towards the strengths of our players.
"That's the beauty of football, every team has different strengths, we've tried to play to ours and adapt to our strengths and we need to do the same [on Sunday]."
Another Italian double act that has been showered with praise is centre-back pairing Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, whose combined 33 European Championship appearances is four more than England's entire back five that started the semi-final against Denmark.
While they may not possess the same ball-carrying ease as England's Harry Maguire and John Stones, Chiellini remains a formidable scrapper even at the age of 36, with his 71.4 duels success bettered by only six defenders (involved in 10 or more duels). And Bonucci continues to read the game well, his haul of 12 interceptions being the most of all defenders at Euro 2020.
Together, there is not much they do not possess, and Harry Kane is relishing the chance to go up against them.
"They're two amazing defenders with great experience over their careers of big matches," Kane said.
"I've been fortunate to play against them before, and as a striker I want to play against the best and they're definitely up there."
Kane himself has had an intriguing tournament given he was widely criticised for a slow start that saw him fail to score until the knockout phase, yet he now has four heading into the final.
It is a curious change from his performance at the 2018 World Cup, when he scored five in the group and only one in the knockouts, and he suggested that may be by design.
"Obviously don't get me wrong, I'd have loved to have scored three or four in the group and got off to fantastic start and gone from there, but it was more about the energy," he said.
"I felt in the World Cup, it was such an amazing start, scoring in the last minute against Tunisia, a lot of energy after that game was used in terms of the emotion, and then against Panama it was the same, because it was an amazing game and I got a hat-trick.
"Again, there's a lot of talk and mental energy [expended] – Colombia was the same. Not just physically but mentally I felt I just lost a little towards the latter stages, so going into this one with a bit more experience it's about not getting too carried away, whether I score or not.
"Thankfully it's worked out pretty well, but I guess that's part of the learning curve and gaining that experience, hopefully I've enough left to finish the job."
Harry Kane has rejected the suggestion England are too nice ahead of the Euro 2020 final, with Gareth Southgate's squad ready to test their mettle once again after "knocking down barriers" to set up a showdown with Italy.
England will be aiming to win a first major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup, a 55-year-drought during which they have never made it beyond the last four at any tournament.
However, Kane's winner in extra time against Denmark on Wednesday secured a place in this year's European Championship showpiece – and they will have home advantage again when they face the Azzurri at Wembley Stadium.
Southgate and his players have ended the nation's long, at times painful wait to reach another final, but Kane made clear on the eve of the contest that being "humble and respectful" as a group does not suggest they lack the ruthless edge required to get the job done on Sunday.
Asked during his pre-match media duties if England are too nice, he replied: "No, I don't think so
"That's the personality of a lot of the players in the squad, they are humble and respectful, but we have a focus and determination to win, we've shown that in last tournament and this, knocking down barriers that have been there for a long time.
"In modern football there isn't so much mind games before, getting too hyped or out of control.
"We have a real vision of where we want to be and without that and our winning mentality we wouldn't be where we are now."
Southgate played for England when they lost in a Euros semi-final to Germany at the old Wembley back in 1996, when the song 'Three Lions' by English comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner became synonymous with the tournament.
The lyrics reference the failures to replicate the success enjoyed by Alf Ramsey's side over West Germany in 1966 and it has remained popular ever since, particularly when the national team are in action at a major event.
While Southgate has mixed emotions towards the song – it was his missed penalty that proved costly in the shoot-out against the Germans 25 years ago – he is delighted with the support his players have received this year.
"I didn't want to listen to it for 15 years because it was too painful for me," Southgate, who confirmed Phil Foden is a doubt to face Italy due to a knock, said to the media.
"You have to know the English to understand our humour and our humour is probably quite unique. It's certainly not arrogant, the lyrics are making fun of ourselves and what's gone wrong before.
"It's always appeared at tournaments, we have a couple of replacements that seem to have come through now, which is nice to move things forward.
"The atmosphere in the ground is great. When we started three four years ago, we had people throwing paper planes, they weren't behind the team and there was an apathy towards the team, but now the energy is fantastic.
"It's so important for the players, they need that warmth and it's definitely helped inspire us in this tournament."
Gareth Southgate and his England squad have the support of Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family heading into their Euro 2020 final against Italy.
England beat Denmark 2-1 after extra-time on Wednesday to book their place in the final of a major tournament for the first time since 1966, the year they won the World Cup at Wembley.
The national stadium is again the venue for England's second final, with Roberto Mancini's Italy side standing in the way of Southgate's men.
Ahead of the fixture, England's manager received a letter of support from the monarch.
"Fifty-five years ago I was fortunate to present the World Cup to Bobby Moore, and saw what it meant to the players, management and support staff to reach and win the final of a major international football tournament," read the letter, addressed to Southgate and shared on England's social media channels.
"I want to send my congratulations and that of my family to you all on reaching the final of the European Championships, and send my good wishes for tomorrow with the hope that history will record not only your success but also the spirit, commitment and pride with which you have conducted yourselves."
Asked about the message in his pre-match news conference, Southgate said: "It's been fantastic to have obviously the letter from the Queen, from the Prime Minister to all the team and the recognition that players and all of the staff have gone about this in the right way.
"We had a fabulous reception with local villages at St George's Park, so you got more a sense of what's going on outside the bubble, but it comes back to tomorrow.
"We are here to win. It's important how we represent people and we are pleased that legacy is there but now we want to go and lift the trophy."
Novak Djokovic is wary of the threat "red hot" Wimbledon final rival Matteo Berrettini poses to his Golden Slam ambitions.
Chasing a sixth title at the All England Club, and bidding to become the fourth man in the Open Era to record a hat-trick of successive Wimbledon triumphs, Djokovic could hardly be set to face a tougher opponent.
Berrettini won the Queen's Club title on grass in June and has made good on many experts' prediction that he would be the player to come through the bottom half of the SW19 draw.
Should the 25-year-old Italian carry off the title, he would become his country's first singles champion at Wimbledon.
And although Djokovic starts as a heavy favourite, looking to join Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 grand slams, it is not so preposterous to think there could be an upset.
Berrettini leads the way in aces with 101 for the tournament, which puts him 38 ahead of Djokovic in third place on the list.
He has also been the second fastest server, sending down a delivery of 139mph. Djokovic sits top in terms of points won on first serve, his 85 per cent success record putting him a shade ahead of Berrettini, fifth with a very healthy 82 per cent.
There have been suspicions in the past that Berrettini had a limited game in terms of its dimensions, but he has put paid to that talk in recent times, showing admirable variation, which together with the confidence that is soaring makes him a genuine threat to the world number one.
Djokovic has not lost at Wimbledon against a fellow top-10 player since his defeat to Andy Murray in the 2013 final, and if he is seeking positive omens ahead of Sunday's Centre Court showdown that is certainly one, as is the fact he beat world number nine Berrettini in four sets in their French Open quarter-final in early June.
The 34-year-old from Belgrade is aiming to complete the third leg of a staggering bid to win all four majors and the Olympic Games singles title. The Golden Slam is a feat only ever previously achieved by Steffi Graf in 1988.
But Djokovic senses danger when he looks at Berrettini, more so than when they met on clay in Paris.
He pointed out: "Obviously grass favours him even more, favours his game. If he serves big, as he did throughout the entire tournament, it's tough to break his serve, it's tough to go into the rhythm, to find a good positioning to return, make him play.
"But I believe in my return. I think return has served me very well throughout my career. Hopefully I'll be able to get a lot of those serves back and wait for my chances."
Djokovic added: "It's really anybody's game. He's arguably the guy who has been in the best form on grass courts this year, winning Queen's. He's red hot. It's going to be a great battle."
It would be a sixth Wimbledon title for Djokovic should he claw his way past Berrettini, who is seeking a first grand slam title.
In the Open Era, only Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer have won three or more successive Wimbledon titles among the men, while Djokovic, in this potentially historic year of his, is bidding to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win each of the first three slams in a season.
Berrettini's career record does not come near to competing with that of the player who will stand on the opposite side of the net. On Sunday the Rome-born player will target a sixth tour title, and a third on grass.
Yet coming from Queen's Club, he was being told that a major opportunity awaited him at Wimbledon.
"I knew I could do it, but I didn't think I am going to do it because this is how I am," Berrettini said.
"I took every step really careful and slowly. I guess it was the right thing to do. Obviously the job is not done yet. I want to get the trophy now that I'm here."
Roberto Mancini hopes to complete a redemption tale with Italy's national team when they face England in the final of Euro 2020.
Mancini was a lavishly skilled forward and a talismanic leader for Sampdoria during his playing days, but the presence of the likes of Roberto Baggio and Gianfranco Zola in the Azzurri ranks, along with some tempestuous fallouts with coaches meant his was an international career that remained frustratingly unfulfilled.
He amassed 36 caps and scored just four times between 1984 and 1994, yet the 56-year-old's appointment as Azzurri boss in the aftermath of their failure to reach the 2018 World Cup has proved restorative for him and his country.
Playing in an adventurous, attacking style that Mancini pledged to stick with at Wembley, Italy have been a team reborn under the ex-Inter and Manchester City boss.
"I had the opportunity to play for the under-21 side, for the senior side who were excellent, but we weren't able to win either the European Championship or the 1990 World Cup, which we also would have deserved," he told a pre-match news conference.
"It's a very important moment for me because I represent Italy.
"I really hope that I can enjoy the experience that I didn't enjoy during my playing career despite the fact I played in some wonderful Italy teams."
Italy's technically superb midfield trio of Jorginho, Marco Verratti and Nicolo Barella were unable to exert their usual control against Spain in the semi-final, with Mancini's side restricted to 30 per cent possession in the 1-1 draw before prevailing on penalties.
He insists this happened more down to circumstances than by design and insisted they will take will look to take the game to England.
"We've always played this way. Even against Spain we wanted to play like that, but Spain did a good job in limiting us," Mancini added.
"They kept the ball better than us so they did a better job on that score."
"We will try to do what we have done thus far and what's brought us here. We can't change that now."
Italy striker Ciro Immobile this week thanked Mancini and his staff for giving him "a cuddle" as his individual form has dwindled during the tournament – painting the picture of a happy camp somewhat at odds with the scene he left when he was sacked by City in 2013, a year on from guiding them to the Premier League title.
"They all need a cuddle, especially after the 50-odd days that we've spent together," he said.
"Thankfully it's always been a positive, happy camp. They've all given more than a 100 per cent so far, otherwise we wouldn't have made it into the final."
Asked how he would best hope to describe his team in the final, Mancini added: "Entertaining and fun, I would say that again. I hope the players can enjoy themselves for another 90 minutes tomorrow night."
England's makeshift ODI side clinched a series win over Pakistan with a dominant 52-run victory over the tourists at Lord's.
Despite having to pick a brand new squad ahead of the series following a COVID outbreak in the camp, England crushed Pakistan by nine wickets in the first match.
Their victory was not quite as emphatic on Saturday but was never in doubt as Pakistan proved incapable of chasing down 248.
Phil Salt (60) and James Vince (56) were the stars with the bat as England were bowled out for 247 in a game reduced to 47 overs a side following a delayed start.
Hasan Ali got himself on the honours board with 5-51 for Pakistan, but England's Saqib Mahmood (2-19) was arguably the pick of the bowlers as the tourists were left playing catch-up en route to being bowled out for 195.
Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley fell for ducks in an inauspicious start for England, but Salt racked up 10 fours for his first international half-century and Vince scored his second in 18 ODIs to turn the tide in England's favour.
England then lost the next five wickets for just 42 balls, Hasan getting the prized scalp of stand-in captain Ben Stokes, but Lewis Gregory (40) and Brydon Carse (31) put on the highest eighth-wicket partnership at Lord's in ODIs with a stand of 69.
That ensured England got to a total they easily defended as Pakistan's top order failed miserably. Imam-ul-Haq followed up his duck at Cardiff by falling for one, caught behind from Gregory, before Mahmood trapped Pakistan skipper Babar Azam lbw for 19.
Mahmood then produced a beauty to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan (5) and Fakhar Zaman scored just 10 off 45 deliveries before being skittled by Craig Overton, with Saud Shakeel (56) and Hasan (31) the only batsmen to give Pakistan hope as they saw the series slip away.
Armed with an unbeatable 2-0 lead, England will aim to seal a series sweep at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
More Mahmood magic
After taking 4-42 in the opener in Cardiff, Mahmood was outstanding once more for England.
An excellent length delivery struck Babar on the pads to dismiss Pakistan's most dangerous batsman, and the ball to remove Rizwan was similarly impressive as Mahmood got one to nip away and draw a thin edge to wicketkeeper John Simpson.
Pakistan's batting blues
Having been bowled out for 141 in the series opener, Pakistan showed only limited improvement as a collective batting unit here.
The tone was set as England ripped through their top order, with skipper Babar again gone for a low score having been dismissed for a duck in Cardiff.
For a player who averages over 55 in ODI cricket, it is a bemusing loss of form.
The British and Irish Lions continued to pile on the points on their tour of South Africa with what proved to be an emphatic, albeit not entirely convincing, 71-31 win over the Sharks.
There was no shortage of entertainment at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, with the Sharks more than holding their own until Jaden Hendrikse got himself sent off.
Indeed, the Lions conceded four tries in the first half – as many as they had allowed in total in their three previous games combined this year.
Yet Hendrikse's dismissal proved the turning point, with the Lions' quality shining through, though Warren Gatland – who on Saturday called up England new boy Marcus Smith due to an injury for Finn Russell – will be expecting better in defence as the Springboks series approaches.
Chris Harris skipped over for his first Lions try early on, with Dan Biggar adding the extras, but the Sharks hit back in style.
Elliot Daly's mistake resulted in Anthony Volmink charging in down the left, before Thaakir Abrahams latched onto Lionel Cronje's grubber. With a game on their hands, the Lions responded in turn – captain Jamie George going over at the culmination of a rolling maul.
The scoring did not let up, with Duhan van der Merwe dragging the Lions level again after Hendrikse had crossed at the other end.
Another Lions mistake gifted Volmink a second try, yet the Sharks' defence was equally as vulnerable and Tadhg Beirne bundled through to once more level the scores..
A moment of madness from Hendrikse soon gave the Lions an advantage, though. The Sharks scrum-half elbowed Liam Williams in the head as the full-back was tackled into touch, and after checking with the TMO, referee Wayne Barnes brandished a red card.
The Lions set about making their numerical superiority count – Jack Conan driving in before Daly extended the lead, only for Werner Kok to pounce on Conor Murray's blocked kick. However, George and Beirne doubled their tallies either side of Anthony Watson taking the Lions above 50, with Tom Curry running in their 10th try.
Murray's yellow ensured both sides would finish with 14 men, though Watson had the final say with a brilliant 50-metre break.
Sharks hold their own until Hendrikse blunder
It really was a ludicrous decision from Hendrikse, who had looked sharp in the first half, to lunge in on Williams.
The Sharks – who were thrashed 54-7 in midweek but stepped up to play the Lions again after the Bulls pulled out – presented a real challenge for the Lions before the break, but Hendrikse's rashness ultimately all-but gifted the tourists victory.
Smith stunned by late call
Harlequins fly-half Smith scored 18 points as England hammered Canada at Twickenham on Saturday, though he had little time to celebrate ahead of catching a flight out to South Africa to join up with Gatland's squad.
"I can't believe it," Smith told Channel 4. "They called me into the tunnel 10 minutes ago and I don't believe it – I was shaking, I still can't believe it, it's amazing.
"We were meant to go to the football [England v Italy in Sunday's Euro 2020 final] but I will be on the plane now. It won't sink in until I get back from the tour and I will have to pinch myself on the plane.”
Giorgio Chiellini is relishing coming up against Harry Kane in the final of Euro 2020, with the veteran Italy centre-back claiming he is a huge fan of the England captain.
Kane endured a lacklustre group stage before coming to life in the knockout stages of the tournament.
The Tottenham striker has four goals to his name, leaving him in with a shout for the Golden Boot when Gareth Southgate's men take on the Azzurri in Sunday's final at Wembley.
If Kane is to follow up scooping the same prize at the 2018 World Cup, he will have to get the better of Chiellini and his long-time ally Leonardo Bonucci at the heart of a formidable backline.
Italy had amassed 11 consecutive clean sheets before their 2-1 last-16 win over Austria and such solidity is a huge factor in the 33-match unbeaten run that has left them within touching distance of a first European title since 1968.
The 36-year-old Chiellini addressed a pre-match news conference, recalling his maiden encounter with Kane in 2015 – an international friendly drawn 1-1 in Turin that was a second cap for a striker who now has 60 senior international appearances and 38 goals to his name.
"He's very technical, he shoots well from distance, he's good in the air, he takes free-kicks. He's a player who really impressed me right from day one," the defender explained, before recalling several discussions about Kane with Fabio Paratici – Juventus' former sporting director who recently took on the same role at Spurs.
"I played against him during his time with Tottenham and I am a really big fan of him.
"You can ask Fabio Paratici, he’ll confirm that because we spoke about Kane so much over the last few years.
"Now Fabio Paratici will have the opportunity to work with him at Tottenham and I'll have the 'good fortune' to come up against him tomorrow night.
"It's always nice to play strikers such as these. It will be a tough battle but an exciting one."
A possible ploy for England on Sunday would be for Kane to drop off the front and use his ability to thread throughballs for Raheem Sterling, who has scored three goals and provided an assist during a superb individual tournament.
"Everyone has their own attributes. If I try to match him in a footrace, me against Sterling, I don't think I'd ever beat him to the punch," Chiellini said.
"But maybe in situations where there's a ball to be won and it's a slightly more physical 50-50, or a long ball forward from the goalkeeper, I might be more likely to win the header. I need to try and limit their attributes.
"It almost makes me laugh because I think England's bench could have made it to the final on their own because they have some extraordinary players.
"We are going to try to limit their characteristics where we can, but thankfully it's not an individual game, it's a team game.
"It's not necessarily important whether Bonucci and Chiellini can stop Sterling and Kane; it's about whether Italy will beat England."
A noted no-nonsense defensive hardman over the course of his career, Chiellini has adopted a demeanour throughout Euro 2020 that has been at once jovial and somewhat terrifying, perhaps in line with the pre-tournament prescription he repeated on Saturday of Italy needing "just that hint of madness and cool heads".
He reacted with delight when a Kevin De Bruyne piledriver stuck him during the 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium, while his playful jostling with Spain captain Jordi Alba before the semi-final penalty shoot-out was instant meme material.
"I really am savouring every last drop of my career. I've always got a smile on my face and I always try to have the utmost respect for my opponents," Chiellini said.
"I'm trying to hug them, smile, have a bit of a laugh. That's something I've always done and in these games I really am trying to enjoy every single moment, even more than I did in previous years."
On the Alba incident, Chiellini added: "No, it wasn't mind games by any means. That's how I am in good times and bad. My team-mates love me and there might be times when opponents like me less.
"After all these years, I think there is mutual respect between me and my opponents."
Marcus Smith has been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad for their tour of South Africa, as Finn Russell struggles with an Achilles tendon injury.
Fly-half Smith, 22, helped Harlequins to the Premiership title this season and made his England debut against the United States last week.
He followed up his international bow with a superb showing in a 70-14 demolition of Canada on Saturday, kicking nine conversions.
After impressing at Twickenham, Smith – following coronavirus testing – will be heading to South Africa to join up with the Lions, who faced the Sharks on Saturday in their third match of the tour, with the three-Test series against the Springboks starting later this month.
And Gatland is excited to see what Smith can bring to his squad, with Russell likely to be out for several weeks.
"Finn Russell has been managing an Achilles injury he's had for a couple of weeks, but he's not going to be 100 per cent," Gatland explained.
"He's got a slight tear in his Achilles, they're going to inject it and see if they can manage it through the next couple of weeks, as a result we're going to call up Marcus Smith to come out here on Sunday.
"He'll catch a flight, needs to be PCR tested after the [England] game and hopefully all is well. He's been absolutely outstanding, I'm a big fan of his, watched him play last year, thought he was really promising, had a great season for Harlequins.
"He's been playing regularly, winning the championship with Harlequins, playing for England now and a similar player to Finn Russell so a like-for-like replacement in a lot of ways, so he might add something exciting and new to the squad."
The wobbles of Wimbledon struck Karolina Pliskova and Ash Barty in a women's final that delivered devilish drama and a marvellously charismatic new champion.
Barty's big moment at the All England Club has finally arrived, the world number one making good on the aim she publicly set herself by landing the second grand slam of a career that could yield many more.
As she joyfully paraded the Venus Rosewater Dish around Centre Court, it hardly mattered that the 25-year-old had staggered across the winning line.
When she raced up to the players' box to hug coach Craig Tyzzer and boyfriend Garry Kissick, they were not asking why she had not got the job done in straight sets.
When Barty's thoughts turned to her hero Evonne Goolagong, and tears began to flow, all that mattered to the Queenslander was that she had achieved her tennis destiny.
But what a curious contest this was, a first women's Wimbledon singles final to go to a third set since 2012, yet it would take a real optimist – Barty, for instance – to define it as a classic.
At least it was a contest. That had been in doubt when Pliskova lost the opening 14 points. It was 4-0 in just 12 minutes, at which stage memories of the Czech's 6-0 6-0 drubbing by Iga Swiatek in May's Rome final came to mind.
Pliskova did not fire a single winner in the first six games. Barty surged a set and 3-1 ahead in 45 minutes, a 13th straight-sets women's final in the last 14 Wimbledon championships seemingly inevitable.
The pre-match favourite's nerve was holding, or so it seemed, but when Pliskova held serve to trail only 3-2 the players had split the last 10 games, and that suggested a pivot in the flow of the contest was still possible.
Rudyard Kipling's encouragement to keep your head while others might be losing theirs is engrained in Wimbledon tradition, yet doing so on the big stage is easier prescribed than achieved.
This title match was painfully short on consistent quality, with more unforced errors than winners overall (Barty: 30/29, Pliskova: 27/32) as the pressure of the occasion affected the two first-time finalists. Movie star Tom Cruise was in the crowd, and a plot twist was coming.
A chant of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" went up at 5-5 in the second set, and Pliskova went on to drop serve from 40-love, missing a straightforward enough backhand volley at the net when she had the chance to close out the game.
Serving for the title, Barty played her worst tennis of the match, and when Pliskova powered through the tie-break those still awake Down Under must have been suddenly fearing the worst.
Serving first in the third set, Barty took a look down the other end and must have been thinking: "What are you still doing here?"
But Barty swiftly established a break, Pliskova volleying lamentably into the net from close range, and this time the Aussie nerve held.
She fired an ace to bring up a first match point and the title was hers when Pliskova drove a backhand into the net, her 32nd unforced error of the match.
Having held serve in 57 of her 61 service games up to the final, Pliskova was broken six times.
Barty won the girls' Wimbledon tournament in 2011 and 10 years later has achieved a rare double by adding the women's title, joining Ann Jones, Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo as the only players to do so in the Open Era.
She has joined Margaret Court and Goolagong in becoming a women's champion for Australia at the All England Club, and Barty holds the latter in the highest regard.
They share an indigenous background, and 50 years after Goolagong landed the first of her two Wimbledon titles, Barty did just enough to fend off Pliskova and add her own name to the board of champions.
Barty called it "an exceptional match right from the start", and that verdict can probably be put down to the adrenaline of being a newly crowned champion.
She also spoke of having managed precious little sleep ahead of the match, which might explain some of the erratic side of her performance.
And then the BBC's Sue Barker asked her about Goolagong.
"I hope I made Evonne proud," Barty said, the first tears beginning to stream.
Barty has left home to pursue this dream, having chosen to spend almost all of 2020 back in Greater Springfield, near Brisbane, away from the world's worst COVID-19 crises.
Her family have remained in Australia, and Barty has made the trip worth it with this triumph.
"I know they're at home watching. I miss them, I love them," Barty said. "I can't wait to get home to them in a few months' time and really celebrate."
She suggested celebrations in her bubble would be "low key". The Barty party will have to wait.
Bauke Mollema reigned supreme as the Tour de France entered the Pyrenees, storming to a superb solo victory on stage 14 from Carcassonne to Quillan.
Mollema secured a second Tour win after his triumph on the ride to Le Puy-en-Velay in 2017, with this success coming in similar fashion.
The Dutchman made a decisive break, riding the final 40 kilometres out on his own at an average speed of 43.4km/h for that section, while he took on the last 25km in solitary fashion four years ago.
"Its super nice. It's amazing to win a stage again, I'm super happy," said a Trek-Segafredo's Mollema after prevailing by one minute and four seconds from Patrick Konrad and Sergio Andres Higuita in second and third respectively on the 183.7km route.
"It was as super hard day. It took so long until the break finally went
"It was a nice group but we were not working together so well. So I thought, 'let's go'. I did like 45km alone so it was hard, but I'm super happy."
Guillaume Martin came in +1:28 down in the chasing group, an effort that saw him move up to second in the general classification.
Martin, of Cofidis, is the only rider within five minutes of reigning champion Tadej Pogacar in the Yellow Jersey, making up enough time on the final climb of the Col de Saint-Louis to drop Rigoberto Uran down to third.
Michael Woods and Wout Poels were part of the 14-rider breakaway from which Mollema emerged and pushed their King of the Mountains claims, battling for points in each of the classified climbs.
Israel Start-Up Nation's Woods claimed the haul he needed to take the lead in that contest from Nairo Quintana and Poels, even if this success was somewhat tempered by him crashing on the descent of the Col du Castel.
Once the Canadian re-joined the breakaway it soon became clear he and his colleagues had no answer to Mollema.
STAGE RESULT
1. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) 04:16:29
2. Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe) +1:04
3. Sergio Andres Higuita (EF Education-Nippo) +1:04
4. Mattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +1:06
5. Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) +1:10
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 56:50:12
2. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) +4:04
3. Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First) +5:18
Points Classification
1. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 279
2. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) 187
3. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 174
King of the Mountains
1. Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) 54
2. Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) 50
3. Wouter Poels (Bahrain Victorious) 49
What's next?
Sunday's 15th stage is set to be a particularly gruelling affair, with three category one climbs included in the 191.3km ride from Ceret to Andorre-la-Vieille. The second of those is Port d'Envalira, the highest point on this year's Tour at 2,408m above sea level.
There was a sense of justice and vindication about Italy reaching the final of Euro 2020. They had been arguably the most entertaining side at the tournament and attracted near-universal levels of acclaim for their performances.
Added to that, there was an inspiring narrative that followed their every step, how they'd recovered from the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, started from scratch with a new coach and philosophy, and seen it all come together at their first major tournament since.
But they were fortunate to get beyond Spain in the semi-finals, eventually coming through on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
La Roja did more than enough to win the match, their 1.5 xG almost double the 0.8 that Italy recorded, highlighting the greater quality chances created by Luis Enrique's men.
Although Spain's almost trademark – at this tournament, anyway – wastefulness eventually caught up with them, they at least did Gareth Southgate and England a service in pinpointing ways to hurt Italy.
Thinking outside of the box
The chief alteration Luis Enrique made to his side from Spain's previous matches at Euro 2020 was the decision to disregard Alvaro Morata and Gerard Moreno for that central striker berth.
Now, some might have suggested it was about time, given they were two of the three players with the worst xG underperformance ahead of the semi-finals – Morata had two goals from 3.95 xG, Moreno had no goals from 3.27 xG.
But the reason for their absence, and the presence of Dani Olmo as a false nine, quickly became apparent. The RB Leipzig attacking midfielder withdrew into deeper positions so as to not directly engage Giorgio Chiellini or Leonardo Bonucci in physical duels, but at the same time this helped create midfield overloads in Spain's favour.
This was obvious on numerous occasions, but one of the most notable saw Olmo actually drop in front of Jorginho, a clever flick in the centre-circle seeing him release Pedri into space as Spain cleverly picked through the Italian midfield.
Granted, it didn't necessarily lead to a goal that time, but it highlighted how uncomfortable Italy sometimes found themselves, and the fact Olmo's combined total of seven shots and key passes (five attempts, two chances created) was the most of any player against Italy at this tournament cannot be a coincidence.
Morata's equaliser off the bench came from a situation not too dissimilar to the previous one as well. This time it was he who picked the ball up in a deep position, before charging straight through the Italy midfield and playing a one-two with Olmo, leaving him with a simple finish. Although he might've missed a few of those already in this tournament, he finished with aplomb on that occasion.
The blueprint
You know how in some video games there are unusually fearsome enemies who only unleash their wrath upon the player if they don't keep their distance? Well, that seemed to be how Luis Enrique saw Chiellini and Bonucci, and maybe he has a point.
Ahead of the final, Chiellini's 71.4 per cent duels success has been bettered by only six defenders (involved in 10 or more duels), while Bonucci's 12 interceptions is the best of all of them. Together, there's not much they don't possess.
That's why playing around them, rather than through them, seems to be the way to go.
While England don't possess a midfield that's as capable – in almost any sense – as Spain's, mirroring their set-up could at least make things trickier for Italy's core: that centre-back pairing and the three-man midfield.
Jorginho, Nicolo Barella and Marco Verratti have been largely excellent at Euro 2020, but at Wembley on Tuesday they were overrun.
Jorginho found it particularly tough going, the Chelsea man completing just 26 passes and only five of those were in the Spain half. To put that into context, his previous match low for accurate passes at the Euros was 50, and he'd not gone below 29 in the opponent's half of the pitch.
Verratti and Barella also recorded tournament lows in the same metrics, but it was Jorginho's lack of influence that was most notable and, given he is generally the deepest-lying of the Italian midfield, it lends further credence to the idea that Olmo operating slightly deeper ensured the former Napoli star was uncomfortable and unable to truly dictate.
Instead, that was done by Sergio Busquets and – to a slightly lesser extent, but no less impressively – Pedri, while Koke spent much of his time marshalling Verratti in something of a man-marking role.
Of course, an important distinction to make is that Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice and Mason Mount aren't Busquets, Pedri and Koke, but if England are to limit the influence of the Italian midfield, all three will need to play the games of their lives.
Kane holds the key
If Phillips and Rice can establish some form of control, the second key factor for England will be the role played by Harry Kane.
While Kane is undoubtedly capable of causing Bonucci and Chiellini problems, mimicking Olmo's performance could be a smart move, and there are few strikers in world football more capable than the Tottenham man at dropping deep and impacting the match in withdrawn spaces.
Jose Mourinho would know all about that, given it was under the Portuguese coach in 2020-21 that Kane enjoyed his best season creatively, reaching double figures for Premier League assists for the first time.
Mourinho told talkSPORT: "[Spain] was the only team that managed to unbalance that Italy midfield, because they had three and Spain had three plus Olmo, almost in a diamond. It was really difficult for Italy to cope with it. I can see Harry Kane doing that a lot. I can see Harry dropping and being away from Bonucci and Chiellini.
"For Bonucci and Chilellini, to have a target man in there is what they want. By not having a target man there, it's an extra midfielder, Harry Kane does that better than anyone."
Kane's 14 assists (12 in open play) in 2020-21 came from 3.6 xA (expected assists). Granted, that 10.4 over-performance – which was by far the best across the top five leagues – suggests a hint of fortune or that he was helped by good finishing from team-mates, but the idea he got lucky on every single occasion is far-fetched. He is clearly a fine link-up player.
Seven of those assists came from deeper positions, and the role Raheem Sterling plays for England isn't too dissimilar to that of Son Heung-min at Spurs, and we all know about Kane and Son's on-pitch relationship.
Italy's midfield is their strength, but all three of their regulars are players who want the ball – none of them are destroyers, and Spain have provided England with the blueprint to dull their impact.
Whether the Three Lions are up to the challenge will define if 55 years of hurt finally end on Sunday.
An emotional Ash Barty said she hoped she had done Evonne Goolagong Cawley after realising her dream of winning Wimbledon with a battling defeat of Karolina Pliskova.
The world number one became the first Australian woman to be crowned champion at the All England Club since her mentor Goolagong Cawley 41 years ago with a 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 victory.
Barty won the opening 14 points of the match as she handled the nerves better than eighth seed Pliskova on Saturday.
Pliskova fought back from a break down twice to win the second set, but the top seed regrouped to claim a second grand slam title two years after her first at the French Open.
The Queensland native is only the fourth junior Wimbledon champion to go on and win the women's title and her triumph came 50 years after Goolagong Cawley's maiden success at SW19.
An emotional Barty said in her on-court interview: "This is incredible. I have to start with Kaja [Pliskova]. Congratulations on an incredible tournament to you and your team. I love testing myself against you and I'm sure we'll have many many matches.
"I want to thank everyone in this stadium. You've made my dream so special, thank you very much.
"My team is incredible and they've been with me every step of the way, and for them to be able to travel with me and essentially be away from home for eight or nine months.
"Craig [her coach Tyzzer] is our captain. He is exceptional at what he does and I love him to death.
"It took me a long time to verbalise, to dare to dream it and say it. I didn't sleep a lot last night, I was thinking of all the what-ifs. I hope I made Evonne proud."
It was a second defeat in a major final for former world number one Pliskova, who was also beaten in the 2016 US Open championship match.
World number one Ash Barty became the first Australian woman to win Wimbledon for 41 years by beating Karolina Pliskova in a tense battle on Centre Court.
The top seed realised her dream of being crowned champion at the All England Club for the first time in a rollercoaster 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 victory.
Pliskova warmed to the task after making a nightmare start in a clash between two first-time finalists at SW19, but Barty was not to be denied her second grand slam title two years after her first at the French Open.
The Queenslander ended a wait for an Australian woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish that stretched back to 1980, when her mentor Evonne Goolagong Cawley won the title.
Pliskova fought back from a break down twice to win the second set, yet Barty regrouped to become only the fourth junior Wimbledon champion to go on and win the women's title.
Barty began with a commanding hold and followed that up with a break to love, sealed with a backhand winner down the line following a sumptuous lob.
A second Barty ace put her 3-0 up and although Pliskova finally won a first point at the 15th attempt, a tentative double fault left the favourite only two games away from wrapping up the first set.
Pliskova was finally on the board at 4-1 when the favourite was broken in an error-strewn game, but the Czech's usually venomous serve was not firing and Barty served out the set at the second attempt.
The 2016 US Open runner-up continued to look uncertain, with Barty taking advantage to go a break up at 2-1, but Pliskova hit back impressively, unleashing a thunderous forehand winner down the line and sealing a swift break back when Barty netted a forehand.
There was a raise of the left hand from Pliskova following a scorching backhand winner during a comfortable hold and although a poor backhand left her 6-5 down, Barty was unable to serve out the match.
Pliskova played with an increasing level of freedom, demonstrating her incredible power with deep, fearsome groundstrokes in a tie-break that ended with a double fault from Barty.
The former world number one gifted the momentum back to Barty when she missed a simple volley at the net to trail 2-0 in the decider.
Pliskova showed flashes of brilliance as she made Barty, who withdrew from the French Open last month with a hip injury, work until the end, but served it out, sealing victory when her opponent netted a backhand.
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