As we gear up for the Euro semi-finals, a delightful showdown awaits us between Italy and England. If soccer was a pizza, this would be the best formaggio vs pepperoni.

Between the poles for Italy, we've got Laura Giuliani who has pulled off 7 saves with a 6.55 rating. Not the most dazzling stats you've seen, wouldn't you agree? Meanwhile, for England, Hannah Hampton has 9 saves, making her the guardian angel of her team with a 7.25 rating.

When we move onto the field, Italy is brandishing Cristiana Girelli with 3 goals to her name and Arianna Caruso, who may only have one goal but a 75.0% accurate pass rate to make up for it. Cecilia Salvai, isn't shining so much in the spotlight but still seems to be doing a pretty decent job with an 87.9% accurate pass. Only passers, no direct shooters, it's like watching a kabuki dance: lots of fancy footwork, but you're wondering when the sword will be drawn.

On the other side of the channel, England comes with a ready arsenal: Ella Toone and Lauren James carrying 2 goals each, a pretty solid defense against Italy's 'pass-ter' plan. England's Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp also make a hard case to ignore with solid ratings, stats that sing like a Beatles tune at a pub on a rainy day.

Diving into the dusty history, the last ciao between these teams ended with England scoring five goals against Italy's lonely 1. Might be worth noting down, don't you think? Also, England's recent track record boasts of victories and only a smidgen of a defeat, as opposed to Italy's patchy Win-Draw-Loss sequence.

As this riveting face-off approaches, let's remember that we’re about as certain as a cat on a treadmill here. But based on how the biscuits have crumbled so far, England seems to hold the winning card. Would you now bet on Italy, the long shots, with their 6.00 payout? I think not. So to cut the jibber jabber:

Albert’s Prediction: England by 2