EURO 2020 Fantasy Football: Popular picks for the final

After the group stage and three rounds of knockout matches, only two countries remain at UEFA EURO 2020, with Italy and England now set to contest Sunday's final at Wembley. Ahead of the showpiece, UEFA.com casts an eye over a number of players from both teams who are proving the most popular within the EURO Fantasy community.

GOALKEEPERS

The more favoured selection of the two goalkeepers on show is Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma (€5.8m), who has been an extremely popular pick from the very start of the tournament and is currently in 53% of teams. Many managers believed Italy were a side capable of recording plenty of clean sheets at EURO 2020 and they lived up to that billing by recording three in a row in the group stage. Donnarumma has accrued a score of 25 Fantasy points so far, with his most recent performance bringing in three from the semi-final against Spain.

Although Roberto Mancini's side have yet to keep a clean sheet in the knockout stage, they have conceded just three goals across the last three matchdays – and Donnarumma will be desperate to get back to keeping his goal intact in the final. Given his ownership is 15% higher than that of England counterpart Jordan Pickford, a clean sheet for Donnarumma would be a boost for many managers.

DEFENDERS

It took a direct free-kick from Denmark to finally breach the England back line in the semi-finals, the first goal conceded by the Three Lions at EURO 2020. While the goal was disappointing for the many Fantasy managers in possession of England defensive assets, it won't stop a number of those defenders from being selected for the final.

Full-back Luke Shaw (€6.3m) has won acclaim for both his defensive abilities and his attacking prowess, which has brought him three assists over the course of the last three matchdays, helping him become the highest-scoring defender in the game with 35 points. It is therefore no surprise that he is also the most popular defender, with 46% of managers putting their faith in him for another healthy Fantasy score in the final.

Trailing just behind Shaw in both points and owners is John Stones (€5.9m). The centre-back has been hugely consistent throughout the finals, having racked up five clean sheets and five successive scores of six points leading up to the semi-finals. Denmark's goal in the last four led to Stones picking up only two points, but the faith placed in the England defender by many Fantasy managers hasn't wavered and England's high clean-sheet potential, along with Stones' attacking aerial threat from set pieces, explain why 39% of teams include him.

Leonardo Bonucci (€5.7m) is also attracting a large amount of interest, the veteran centre-back by far and away the most popular defensive asset among the Azzurri. Bonucci, who is in 33% of Fantasy sides, has started every match, which has contributed to a total score of 18 Fantasy points. If Italy are to triumph in the final, defensive stability will need to be prioritised and Bonucci looks to be their most reliable asset in that regard.

MIDFIELDERS

Continuing his fantastic tournament so far, Raheem Sterling (€9.9m) was one of the standout players in the semi-finals as England overcame Denmark. With his pace and direct running a constant threat, Sterling won the penalty leading to England's decisive goal, helping him to a score of four Fantasy points from the fixture despite not registering a goal or an assist himself. With three strikes, an assist and 37 points to date, Sterling goes into the final as the highest-scoring player across all positions, so his vast ownership of 52% is no surprise.

Throughout the competition, Lorenzo Insigne (€8.7m) has courted the most interest among Italian players categorised as midfielders, with his guaranteed starting role as part of a front three proving hugely attractive. Insigne racked up scores of eight points on both Matchday 1 and Matchday 5, finding the net on both occasions, and is expected to start once again for Italy in the final.

England conceded their first goal of the tournament from a direct free-kick in the semi-finals and this could bode well for owners of Insigne, given he is likely to take charge of any set pieces from shooting range.

Insigne's team-mate Federico Chiesa (€7.4m) also has two goals to his name so far despite starting from the bench in three of Italy's six matches. Chiesa did, however, win a starting role in both the quarter and semi-finals, scoring his side's goal against Spain, and looks to have done enough to retain his place in the Italian front three alongside Insigne in the final.

Many Fantasy managers will be hoping so too, with Chiesa presently the third-highest-owned midfielder in the game at 24%. With the starting line-ups available before the all-important Matchday 7 deadline, Chiesa is set to be the subject of many late transfers should he be named in that Azzurri starting XI.

FORWARDS

Both Italy and England have fielded one out-and-out striker throughout the tournament and are likely to stick with that approach in the final. For Italy, that forward is expected to be Ciro Immobile (€10.2m).

With an ownership of 55%, Immobile has started in all but one of Italy's EURO 2020 fixtures, but after a superb start that saw brought two goals, one assist and 16 Fantasy points over the course of the opening two group games, Immobile has not registered an attacking return since. The limited options within the forward positions mean the vast majority of managers are set to keep faith, however, and hope Immobile can recover his form when it matters most.

In contrast, Harry Kane (€11.7m) has hit form at just the right time. The England captain scored the semi-final winner against Denmark, tucking away the rebound after his penalty had been saved. Four goals in his last three games now put him firmly in the frame for the top-goalscorer prize at EURO 2020, and he now trails current leader Cristiano Ronaldo by just one goal.

Unsurprisingly, Fantasy managers have been quick to act, falling over themselves to get Kane into their respective teams. With 20 points accumulated across the last three matchdays, it’s easy to see why, at 59%, England's attacking spearhead is currently the most popular player in EURO Fantasy.