Southgate targets further improvement against Italy

England Under-21s boss Gareth Southgate believes his side can improve further as they bid to reach the semi-finals of the European Championship.

The Three Lions started their campaign in Czech Republic with a 1-0 defeat against Portugal, but a last-gasp victory over Sweden on Sunday means Southgate’s side can seal their place in the last four with a win over Italy on Wednesday.

And after taking positive aspects from both of those previous performances, Southgate is now looking for his team to improve further as the competition heats up.

"We’ve definitely got gears we can go up, there’s always room for improvement," said the head coach.

"In the first game, we created more chances than Portugal but people said we didn’t control the game.

"Against Sweden, we had 65 per cent possession but people said we didn’t move the ball quickly enough.

"I suppose if we dominate the game, create more chances and score more goals, that’s what we’re looking for.

"Have we created enough clear cut openings? We haven’t missed too many glaring opportunities, so we’ve got to make sure the service is right.

"We want to dominate possession and dictate games but need to make sure we’re not toothless at the end of it.

"We were five games away at the start and we’re now three games away from the opportunity to be European champions, so how do we get better?

"That balance is important for us and we’re always looking for perfection and looking to improve, but we recognise that this is going to be an Italian team that we respect.

"They have some individually talented players and a collective spirit which Italian teams always have, as they’re a big footballing nation.

"They’re not going to come and roll over, but we have to believe in our own ability."

The Azzurri come into the fixture with just one point from their first two games, so know they have to win if they are to stand any chance of usurping England, Portugal or Sweden for a semi-final spot.

But after seeing Italy’s performance in their 0-0 draw with Portugal on Sunday, Southgate knows they will be fired up, dangerous and ready for the game.

"Italy are very unlucky to only be on one point," he added. 

Southgate's side have lost 1-0 to Portugal and beat Sweden by the same scoreline so far

"They went toe-to-toe with Portugal the other night and maybe the game against us had taken a lot out of them [Portugal] because physically, they looked towards the end like they had run their race for the night.

"The group is tight, in both groups, nobody managed to win two matches from their first two games and that’s where we’re up to.

"All of the four teams are very even but you expect that, as it’s a quarter final game really so we expect it to be tight.

"The likes of Spain, France and Holland are not here [in Euros], so everyone has done something strong to get here.

"There’s not a lot between the teams so you’ve got to earn everything that you get."

Should England fail to beat Luigi di Biagio’s side, a draw could be good enough to see them through in second place but only if Portugal avoid defeat against Sweden.

Jesse Lingard celebrates his winning goal against Sweden in Olomouc on Sunday

But Southgate and his squad are only focused on making sure they get all three points to ensure progress and a game against either Denmark or Germany in the last four.

"That’s not [getting a draw] the way we’re going to approach it, a draw also might not be enough," he explained.

"We went to Croatia [in the play-offs] when a draw might have been enough, but we wanted to score and win the game and I believe we will score goals.

"We go in to win the game and we have to be sensible with it too and it’s all much simpler if we just win so let’s focus on that."

England are boosted by the return of Everton defender John Stones, who missed the first two games after suffering from concussion in training ahead of the Portugal match last week.

And Southgate will consider his all of his options for the contest, after seeing his team play two games in the space of four days.

"He’s fit and available and obviously he’s a top player so we have a decision to make in that respect," he explained. 

"We’ve only let one goal in and the defenders, as I knew they would, have defended with great heart and spirit.

"That’s why we’ve got to the point we have. The game against Sweden was a physical contest and they were very direct so the two boys [Liam Moore and Ben Gibson] that were there really rose to that challenge and minimised Sweden’s chances."

The game kicks-off in Olomouc at 7.45pm (BST) and will be screened in the UK live on BT Sport.