Our hearts will be in our mouths when the whistle blows tomorrow night, and one’s thing’s for sure – our formation needs to be as strong as the England squad.

Just as the team are setting up preparations in Rome, footie fans need to be planning out the evening now, because you can’t afford to leave anything to chance.

Here’s how to get ahead of the beautiful game and make it a night to remember – within social distancing rules – so nothing can be deemed a red-card offence by your mates…

1. Hit the shops early

There’s no time for lazy lie-ins tomorrow. Think early supermarket sweep to avoid raucous crowds clearing the shelves. Crisps, dips, pizza, burgers and beer are going to be on everyone’s hit list.

2. Prioritise your party drinks

Think about how best to fill those glasses, because a goal could come in the blink of an eye. Choose boxed wines over a screwcap (so much quicker with the push of a nozzle), plastic stemware and a bucket the size of your big screen, to keep the beer and hard seltzers ice cold.  A couple of hours before the match, fill the bath with as many bags of ice as you can get your hands on and sink the drinks, so everything’s brilliantly chilled.

3. Theme your half time snacks

Crowd pleasing colours – red, white and blue – are the name of the game. There’s nothing tastier than a well-stacked sandwich with an England flag peeking out the top, ketchup on the side, blue cheese dips, cute cupcakes for the kids, party plates, and napkins for sticky fingers.

4. Sort the best seats in the house

From a tactical point of view, think about how best everyone’s going to watch the game. You can’t afford to hog all the room with your favourite chair if it means the rest of the household is in the rafters. Think about how the game’s going to play out and be prepared for sudden movement, leaps in the air and keep surfaces free from anything fragile. Apart from a box of tissues for those tears of joy.

5. Dress for the occasion

Die-hard fans will have already donned their England kit, but you can still think about how best to really make those lions roar; even if it means grabbing a red lipstick for a ‘cheeky’ St George’s cross. Flying the flag and stringing bunting across the windows or garden wall is the best feeling – even if it means ripping up an old white sheet and laying your hands on a pot of red paint. You’re proud and you want to show it.

6. The playlist

With so much build-up on and off the screen, you’ll want to hear Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home), World In Motion, World At Your Feet, All Together Now and Sweet Caroline loud and clear. Uplifting, moving and ever so sentimental.

7. Get the big event atmosphere with a projector

There’s still time. Just. Sites such as Amazon have a range of projectors suitable for indoor and outdoor use, some priced at less than £100, which you can have delivered tomorrow if you order one this afternoon. After all, our boys deserve your best shout!