Italy v England | Round of 16 | FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ | Live stream

In their final group stage match against Iraq, England's Under-20 football team settled for a lackluster goalless draw. Despite the unimpressive performance, the result had no impact on their qualification as group winners for the last 16.

After narrowly defeating Tunisia 1-0 and triumphing over Uruguay 3-2 in a thrilling encounter, Ian Foster's side, the defending champions, have kept their hopes alive for a second Under-20 World Cup title. This impressive run comes after their failure to qualify for the tournament four years ago, and they are now on track to rectify that disappointment.

Having finished one point ahead of Uruguay in Group E, England's goal tally of four was the joint-lowest among the six section winners, tied with Gambia. However, Foster's team has maintained an unbeaten streak of 10 games across all competitions since their 2-0 loss to Poland in the Under-20 Elite League last March.

In contrast to England's relaxed final group match, Italy faced a crucial situation against the Dominican Republic. After a mixed start in Group D, with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Brazil followed by a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria, Italy found themselves three points behind their African counterparts. They desperately needed a victory against the Dominican Republic, who had been struggling in the group.

Italy's inspired performance, led by Cesare Casadei's two goals and a strike from Giuseppe Ambrosino, resulted in a comfortable 3-0 win, securing them the second spot in the group. They narrowly edged out Nigeria, who qualified as one of the best third-placed teams, by a solitary goal.

Italy has made their mark at the Under-20 level in recent years, reaching the semi-finals in both the 2017 and 2019 tournaments and even claiming the bronze medal in the former. However, their previous encounters with England have been less favorable, as they are winless in their last six meetings. After losing the first four matches, they managed to salvage a pair of 2-2 and 1-1 draws in the Under-20 Elite League.

The winners of Wednesday's intriguing encounter between Italy and England will advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face either Colombia or Slovakia. Both teams will be eager to showcase their skills and progress further in the tournament, leaving fans eagerly anticipating this compelling match.