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England ran out 3-1 winners over defending champions Italy in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers on Tuesday, October 17.
The Three Lions entered this contest on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the Qualifiers and friendlies. Their last two outings were friendlies in which they defeated Scotland 3-1, followed by a narrow 1-0 win over Australia. Gareth Southgate named a strong lineup for this contest.
The Azzurri, on the other hand, won three of their last five games, with the other two being a draw and a defeat. Their last outing was a comfortable 4-0 win over Malta as Demenico Berardi grabbed a brace. Manager Luciano Spalletti went with a strong XI for this game.
Both England and Italy made positive starts to the game and created chances right from the get-go. However, the visitors grabbed an early advantage after some lethargic defending by the Three Lions.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo crossed the ball into the middle of the box where Gianluca Scamacca was in the perfect position to smash home from close-range to make it 1-0 after 15 minutes.
Di Lorenzo then brought down Jude Bellingham inside the 18-yard box, resulting in a penalty for England. Harry Kane stepped up and scored to level the game in the first half.
Neither side could trouble the scorekeeper as the two teams were tied 1-1 at the break.
England did not take much time to get into fifth gear in the second half as Jude Bellingham was again involved in their move to score. He drove forward with the ball before playing it to Marcus Rashford, who scored with a typical finish to make it 2-1 to the hosts just 12 minutes after the restart.
Harry Kane then rounded off the scoring 13 minutes from time with a solo run from near the halfway line, holding off two defenders along the way. The Bayern Munich forward then slotted the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma to make it 3-1 after 77 minutes.
England secured a 3-1 win over Italy, and on that note, let's take a look at the five major talking points from the game.
#5. Scamacca grabs the lead for Italy with sharp finish
Italy looked strong at the beginning of the game and even grabbed the lead after 15 minutes following poor defending by England.
They moved the ball in and around the hosts' 18-yard box, before swinging it to the right side, where Giovanni Di Lorenzo was in the perfect position to cross the ball. Davide Frattesi missed the initial attempt as he swung his foot over the ball, allowing it to roll towards an unmarked Gianluca Scamacca.
The former West Ham striker made no mistake as he scored from close-range to make it 1-0 to Italy.
#4. Jude Bellingham was the architect of England's comeback
Bellingham had another great game as he showed fearlessness with the ball at his feet and was not afraid to take on defenders. He often drove towards Italy's 18-yard box and was brought down by Giovanni Di Lorenzo in the 29th minute as the Three Lions were awarded a penalty. Kane stepped up and converted to level the game at 1-1.
Early in the second half, Phil Foden played a lovely dinked pass to Bellingham in their own half. The Real Madrid midfielder then drove forward with the ball, running past a host of defenders before finding Marcus Rashford in space on the left side. He then converted with a powerful shot to make it 2-1 to England.
For his game-changing impact, Jude Bellingham was named the Player of the Match - his ninth such award for club & country this season!
#3. Harry Kane continues incredible run of form for the Three Lions
Captain Harry Kane stepped up to the plate and duly grabbed a brace as England ran out 3-1 winners over Italy.
In doing so, the Bayern striker now has a stunning 32 goal contributions in his last 30 appearances for his nation. He has scored or assisted in each of his last 10 games for the Three Lions.
#2. Italy need to be more clinical to compete with the big teams
While they kept possession and created ample chances, if not more than England, the Azzurri will need to be more clinical in front of goal to compete with the big guns.
With 15 attempts across two halves, Italy managed just four attempts on target. Gianluca Scamacca's goal in the first period was their first shot on target as they failed to test Jordan Pickford in goal after that.
Despite going toe-to-toe with England in terms of possession stats throughout the game, they were unable to make the most of their chances. This could ultimately cost Luciano Spalletti's men in international tournaments.
#1. England secure their berth for Euro 2024 in Germany
Following their win, England moved up to 16 points from six games to top Group C with a three-point advantage over Ukraine in second place. The Three Lions also have a game-in-hand.
This result ensured their direct qualification to the group stages of Euro 2024 to be held in Germany next year.
