Wayne Rooney has admitted that England face a tough quarter-final clash with Italy when they meet at Euro 2012 on Sunday.
Rooney's goal in a 1-0 win over co-hosts Ukraine on Tuesday night was enough to send the Three Lions through to the last eight of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Italy finished second in Group B behind defending champions Spain.
"It'll be a tough game, they're quite similar to us in the way they play," Rooney told the Football Association's official website.
"They've got match winners in Balotelli, Cassano and Pirlo. They've got some great players, and it's going to be a really tough game.
"I'd say it's 50-50 going into the game, so we'll have to make sure we get everything right in order for us to win it."
England's first and only encounter with Italy at a European Championship was in 1980 when the Azzurri ran out 1-0 winners in the group stages.
Written by
Jack Prescott
Jack Prescott
