Expectations weren’t too high for England in Euro 2012, but here they are just one win away from being one of the final four teams alive in the tourney.

Just like any team in this tournament, the Three Lions must have major contributions from their top players if they want to continue on into the later stages of the UEFA European Championship. Its one thing to get passed group play which England did by winning Group D, but its another thing to win in the knockout stage.

The competition will be much tougher for England’s squad moving forward. Here are some of their top players that must step up if the Three Lions want to top the Azzurri on Sunday.

Theo Walcott

Battling injuries, Walcott has done his best to keep himself on the field for England. However, it appears the hamstring injury that plagued him earlier in the tourney should be fully healed and shouldn’t affect the 23-year-old against Italy.

Walcott made a name for himself in this tournament against Sweden after netting the tying goal for England upon substitution into the game and would later setup the game-winner, helping England to a win over the Swedes.

The Three Lions’ last match of group play was against Ukraine which they won, 1-0. However, Italy’s offense is far superior to Ukraine’s having netted two more goals in group play and Italy’s defense held a potent Spain team to just one goal and a tying result.

Italy has allowed the second fewest goals in Euro 2012, so England will have their work cut out for them scoring goals.

Walcott’s explosive play will be absolutely vital to sparking a Three Lions offensive attack. The winger not only has the ability to put the ball in the net, but he also has a knack for setting up his teammates and putting them in position to score.

Its doubtful coach Roy Hodgson will start Walcott against Italy, but Walcott’s young, fresh legs could end up giving England the advantage late in this one.

Wayne Rooney

The Three Lions couldn’t be happier to get their best player back. Rooney served a two-match suspension and finally returned in the last match of group play against Ukraine.

England found out exactly what they were missing when Rooney netted the team’s only goal against Ukraine that guaranteed the Three Lions’ entrance into the tourney’s quarter-finals.

Rooney is a bit of a hot head and must keep his cool against Italy. It won’t be easy for the soccer superstar to get his offensive game going against the stingy Azzurri defense, but in this instance, patience will be a virtue.

Its very possible the attention Rooney draws from opposing defenses could open the field up for Walcott late in this match. We all know how good Rooney is at putting the ball in the net, but he could certainly make it easier for his teammates.

Look for Rooney’s contributions to come in the form of solid passing and taking the pressure off his teammates. Sure, it would be nice for him to score a goal in this matchup, but clearly that isn’t the only way he can help his squad.

Joleon Lescott

Speaking of stingy defense, England will need to play some of their own against Italy if they hope to advance to the semi-finals against Germany.

Lescott has already shown he can score the ball after netting a goal against France in England’s opening match.

Defensively, Lescott will be tasked with stopping the Azzurri offensive attack which is led by Italian superstar, Mario Balotelli. Against the Republic of Ireland in Italy’s last match of group play, Balotelli scored his first goal of the tourney and might have grabbed some momentum in the process.

Lescott must keep close to Balotelli in order to prevent him from hurting the Three Lions. If they can take Balotelli out of the match, England’s chances of winning will increase by monumental amounts.

Not to mention, Italy has proven to be quite aggressive in this tournament with 52 attempts in total during Euro 2012, 30 of which were on target. If Lescott and the Three Lions defense as a whole aren’t up to the challenge on Sunday, Italy could run wild on England’s defense and make this match a rout.

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

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