|
Current European Champions |
Colours |
Made by Adidas - Blue crew-necked marble-print jerseys
with blue/gold collar & cuff and white Adidas shoulder trim, blue shorts
with white Adidas side trim, blue socks with white Adidas
trim. |
Rank |
FIFA (22
December 2022) 8th
EFO ranking
Group 6
ELO rating
7th to =10th |
Captain |
Marco Verratti
Gianluigi Donnarumma 88:08 |
Manager |
Roberto Mancini 58 (27 November 1964), appointed 14 May
2018.
|
58th match, W 35 - D 15 - L 8 -
F 117 - A 41. |
Italy Lineup |
1 |
Donnarumma, Gianluigi |
24 26 days |
25 February 1999 |
GK |
Paris Saint Germain, France |
51 |
37ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Di Lorenzo, Giovanni |
29 231 days |
4 August 1993 |
RB |
SSC Napoli |
26 |
3 |
|
53rd min. for complaining at the referee after Berella was caught by Rice |
3 |
Tolói, Rafael |
32 164 days |
10 October 1990 in Glória d'Oeste, Brazil |
RCD |
Atalanta BC |
11 |
0 |
15 |
Acerbi, Francesco |
35 41 days |
10 February 1988 |
LCD |
FC Internazionale Milano, on loan from SSC Napoli
|
29 |
1 |
|
Injury time for upending Harry Kane halfway inside the England half |
4 |
Spinazzola, Leonardo |
29 363 days |
25 March 1993 |
LB |
AS Roma |
22 |
0 |
18 |
Barella, Nicolò,
off 62nd min. |
26 34 days |
17 February 1997 |
RM |
FC Internazionale Milano |
43 |
8 |
8 |
Jorginho, off 69th min. |
31 93 days |
20 December 1991 in
Imbituba, Brazil |
DM |
Arsenal FC, England |
47 |
5 |
|
61st min. for a foul on Harry Kane as he turned to sprint away from his area |
|
|
6 |
Verratti, Marco, off 88th
min. |
30 138 days |
5 November 1992 |
LM |
Paris Saint Germain, France |
52 |
3 |
11 |
Berardi, Domenico, off
62nd min. |
28 234 days |
1 August 1994 |
RF |
US Sassuolo Calcio |
25 |
6 |
19
|
Retegui,
Mateo |
23 329 days |
29 April 1999
in San
Fernando, Argentina |
CF |
CA Tigre, Argentina, on loan from CA Boca Juniors,
Argentina |
1 |
1 |
10
|
Pellegrini, Lorenzo, off
69th min. |
26 277 days |
19 June 1996 |
LF |
AS Roma |
25 |
5 |
Italy
Substitutes |
scoreline:
Italy 1 England 2 |
17 |
Politano, Matteo, on 62nd min.
(61:29) for Berardi |
29 232 days |
3 August 1993 |
RF |
SSC Napoli |
9 |
3 |
16 |
Cristante, Bryan, on 62nd min. for
(61:33) Barella |
28 20 days |
3 March 1995 |
RM |
AS Roma |
30 |
2 |
7 |
Gnonto, D.
Wilfried, on 69th min. (68:15) for Pellegrini |
19 138 days |
5 November 2003 |
LF |
Leeds United FC, England |
9 |
1 |
20 |
Tonali, Sandro, on 69th min.
(68:23) for Jorginho |
22 319 days |
8 May 2000 |
CM |
AC Milan |
13 |
0 |
9 |
Scamacca, Gianluca, on 88th min
(87:47) for Verratti |
24 81 days |
1 January 1999 |
LM |
West Ham United FC, England |
10 |
0 |
result:
Italy 1 England 2 |
unused
substitutes: |
5-Matteo Darmian, 12-Matteo Pessina, 13-Emerson, 14-Giorgio Scalvini, 21-Wladimiro Falcone, 22-Alex Meret, 23-Alessio Romagnoli. |
team
notes: |
Italy play in Naples for the first time in nine years. Striker Mateo Retegui is the son of Carlos Retegui, an Argentinian
hockey star of the 1996-2004 Olympic Games, and coach at 2012-16.
Winning Gold in Rio 2016. |
records: |
This loss ended a run of fourteen ECP victories back to September
2015, and an unbeaten run of forty ECP matches, having suffered their
previous loss to France in September 2006. |
Head
Coach Robert Mancini was an unused substitute for Italy in their
November 1989 friendly meeting against England. |
|
4-3-3 |
Donnarumma - Di Lorenzo, Tolói, Acerbi, Spinazzola -
Barella
(Cristante), Jorginho
(Tonali), Verratti (Scamacca)- Berardi (Politano), Retegui, Pellegrini (Gnonto) |
Averages (Starting XI): |
Age |
28
years 343 days |
Appearances/Goals |
30.2 |
2.6 |
|
|
Rank |
FIFA (22
December 2022) 5th
EFO ranking
Group Two
ELO rating 8th to 7th |
Colours |
The Nike 2022 home jersey -
White crew-necked jerseys
with dark to light blue
fury gradient sleeves, fury/void cuffs, white shorts,
white socks with fury/void thin hoop. |
Captain |
Harry Kane |
Manager |
Gareth Southgate, 52 (3 September 1970), appointed caretaker manager on 27 September 2016, appointed as permanent manager on 30 November
2016. |
⁴⁶
most goals as captain |
56th of 75, W 33 - D 12 - L 11 - F 126 - A 48. |
P 82nd of 102, W FIFTY - D
18 - L 14 - F 176 - A 58 |
England
Lineup |
|
two changes on the previous match
(Phillips & Grealish for Henderson & Foden) |
league position (16th March) |
|
1 |
Pickford, Jordan L. |
29 16 days |
7 March 1994 |
G |
Everton FC
(PL 15th) |
51 |
39ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Walker, Kyle
A. |
32 299 days |
28 May 1990 |
RB |
Manchester City FC
(PL 2nd) |
74 |
0 |
|
71st min. for timewasting after choosing a different ball at a throw-in |
5 |
Stones, John |
28 299 days |
28 May 1994 |
RCD |
Manchester City FC
(PL 2nd) |
65 |
3 |
6 |
Maguire, J. Harry |
30 18 days |
5 March 1993 |
LCD
|
Manchester United FC
(PL 3rd) |
54 |
7 |
|
57th min. after a foul on Nicolò Barella in the lead up to Italy's
only goal |
3 |
Shaw, Luke P.H. |
27 254 days |
12 July 1995 |
LB |
Manchester United FC
(PL 3rd)
|
29
|
3
|
20th player to be sent off for England |
|
78th min. for timewasting for not taking a
throw-in quick enough for the referee.
80th min. for a foul after bringing down Mateo
Retegui on the turn (78:07).
SUSPENDED |
|
|
|
|
8 |
Phillips, Kalvin M. |
27 111 days |
2 December 1995 |
RM |
Manchester City FC
(PL 2nd) |
26 |
0 |
4 |
Rice, Declan |
24 68 days |
14 January 1999 |
CM |
West Ham United FC
(PL 17th) |
40 |
3 |
|
29th min. for timewasting after offering the free-kick to be taken by Maguire |
the 92nd player to reach 40-app
(fifth youngest) |
|
|
|
10 |
Bellingham, Jude V.W.,
injured off 86th min. |
19 267 days |
29 June 2003 |
LM |
Bsv Borussia 09 Dortmund,
Germany |
23 |
1 |
7
|
Saka, Bukayo A.T., off
86th min. |
21 199 days |
5 September 2001 |
RF |
Arsenal FC
(PL TOP) |
25 |
7 |
9 |
Kane, Harry E. |
29 238 days |
28 July 1993 |
CF |
Tottenham Hotspur FC
(PL 4th) |
81 |
54 ¹⁸ |
|
the 104th
penalty-kick scored
(142) |
11 |
Grealish, Jack P.,
off 69th min. |
27 194 days |
10 September 1995 |
LF |
Manchester City FC
(PL 2nd) |
30 |
2 |
the 129th player to reach the 30-app
milestone |
England
Substitutes |
scoreline:
Italy 1 England 2 |
20 |
Foden, Philip W., on 69th min.
(68:33) for Grealish,
tactically off 81st min. |
22 299 days |
28 May 2000 |
LF |
Manchester City FC
(PL 2nd) |
23 |
16 |
3 |
7 |
12 |
Trippier, Kieran J., on 81st min.
(80:56) for Foden |
32 185 days |
19 September 1990 |
LB |
Newcastle United FC
(PL 5th) |
41 |
33 |
1 |
8 |
17 |
James, Reece
T., on 86th min. (85:27) for Saka |
23 105 days |
8 December 1999 |
RM |
Chelsea FC
(PL 10th) |
16 |
10 |
0 |
6 |
final app
2021-23 |
19 |
Gallagher, Conor J., on 86th min.
(85:54) for Bellingham |
23 45 days |
6 February 2000 |
LM |
Chelsea FC
(PL 10th) |
5 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
result:
Italy 1 England 2 |
unused
substitutes: |
13-Aaron Ramsdale, 14-Jordan Henderson, 15-Eric Dier, 16-Ben Chilwell, 18-Marc Guéhi, 21-James Maddison, 22-Fraser Forster,
23-Ivan Toney. |
team notes: |
England's first return to the stadium since 1 July 1990, when they
beat Cameroon. This is the first time that the two nations have met
in the qualification stages of the European Championship, having met
three times in the Finals, and therefore, England's first EC victory
over them. It is only England's second competitive victory over
Italy and the first competitive victory
in Italy. This is
England's
26th visit to the country of Italy, equal with their visits to
France. A non-home nations record. Jack Grealish's great great
grandfather,
Billy Garraty, also played for
England in 1903. |
youth notes: |
England and
Italy have met several times in
youth level matches
featuring the participating players. In the February 2016 fixture between
the under-16 sides, Phil Foden started, and then Bukayo Saka started
in the February 2017 match. Saka was also involved in the under-17
fixtures in August 2017 and the Finals in May 2018. Luke Shaw had
already featured at the same level in August 2011 against Italy.
John Stones and Harry Kane started for the under-21s in the June 2015
Finals. Foden then started the November 2018 fixture and Conor
Gallagher the September 2022. |
manager notes: |
Bobby
Robson's 82nd match as England manager was also
against Italy, in November 1989, a scoreless draw. Southgate is
now equal with Walter Winterbottom in managing England a record five
times against Italy, and this is Southgate's first victory over the
Azzurri. |
sending-off notes: |
Luke Shaw,
the
twentieth expulsion in England's history, is the eighteenth player
to be sent-off. The first player sent off in a European
Championship match since
Wayne Rooney in October 2011. The first Manchester United FC
player sent off since
Harry
Maguire against Denmark, October 2020. It is, however, the
first time England have gone on to win a match at an away venue with
only ten men. And the first time England have had a play sent-off
against the
reigning European Champions. |
records: |
This is England's first victory over Italy in the host country since
1961. The 31st match against Italy is England's ninth victory.
Harry Kane's 54th goal, now two clear of Wayne Rooney, has now scored
20 European Championship goals, a new record, and one clear of Rooney.
Following Harry Kane's goal,
Tottenham
Hotspur FC players have now scored a record-equaling 257 goals of
the 2288 scored by England, equal with Manchester United FC players. |
Manager Gareth Southgate played for England against Italy in the Le
Tournoi victory in June 1997 (he had been an unused substitute in the
friendly four months earlier). He also played in the friendly defeats
in November 2000 and March 2002. |
|
4-3-3 |
Pickford - Walker, Stones, Maguire,
Shaw - Phillips,
Rice, Bellingham (Gallagher) - Saka (James), Kane, Grealish (Foden (Trippier))
notes: when Trippier replaced Foden he
took up the left-back position |
Averages (Starting XI): |
Age |
27 years 47 days |
Appearances/Goals |
45.3 |
7.1 |
|
England’s first match of the New Year couldn’t have been harder than a
trip to Naples to face Italy, a country where England hadn’t won since
1961. Gareth Southgate chose an interesting line-up with Declan Rice, Jude
Bellingham and Kalvin Phillips being the midfield trio. It was soon
obvious that the three would have to do plenty of running.
Italy began on the front foot in the
opening ten minutes, but England were up for the task and broke cleverly
when they had the chance. Indeed, it was Bellingham who had a good shot,
just over, early on. The defence was looking solid, but that couldn’t be
said of the Italians, who, for years, have based their game on a strong
defence. England were finding gaps and on 13 minutes, after a surge, again
by Bellingham, the midfielder hit a fierce shot which was brilliantly
tipped over by the Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma. From the
corner though, England took the lead. Bukayo Saka took the kick and the
ball reached Harry Kane, unmarked at the far post. He quickly fired in a
shot that was blocked, but the ball ran free to Rice, who powered home
with his left foot. It was a well taken goal, but the defending was very
un-Italian.
England continued to attack well, and
swiftly, and on 17 minutes a break down the left saw Luke Shaw put in a
good cross, but again the keeper was equal to it. Three minutes later,
Rice went on a marauding run before finding Kane on the right. His fierce
cross just needed a touch, but despite Bellingham’s lunge, the midfield
player couldn’t quite find that touch. At this stage the game was fast and
furious, but if there was one worry about England’s game, it was the
continual fiddling about passing in their own box between goalkeeper and
defenders. How many times this season, have we seen sides make a mistake
with this ploy and give goals away? It seems a bit precarious at times, as
it did here.
On 24 minutes Kane, who was playing
really well, did some superb work on the right that only won a throw-in,
when it deserved better. Italy were definitely rattled and Nicolo Barella
showed his contempt at one decision by the referee. However, it was Rice,
who unfairly in my opinion, was given a yellow card for delaying the
free-kick. England still held the upper hand though and Phillips was so
unlucky with one shot, just after the half-hour, which fizzed just the
wrong side of the left-hand post.
The Italians are renowned for their
tough tackling and some of the England players were given the treatment a
few times, without punishment from the ref by the way. In fact, the
official seemed to be struggling to recognise when it was a foul or not.
Good work down the right between Kyle Walker and Saka so nearly created
another opening before the Italians cleared the danger. On 39 minutes, a
rare Italian attack saw Leonardo Spinazzola first have his shot blocked by
John Stones, before blazing the rebound over the crossbar. Another strong
break by Rice a minute later, enabled him to win another corner, taken by
Saka.
The deep cross again reached Kane but
as Giovanni Di Lorenzo challenged, the ball struck his arm and the England
players screamed for a penalty. In the end, after what seemed like ages,
the referee viewed the incident on a VAR replay. As he returned to the
pitch, he made the sign and pointed to the spot. Penalty to England!
Was there ever a more dramatic moment
in Harry Kane’s career? Well, yes, there was, just a few months earlier in
the World Cup when he missed his penalty to leave France with victory. Was
this the chance to make amends? Of course it was, and Kane was never going
to pass up this opportunity to break Wayne Rooney’s England scoring
record. Kane, with nerves of steel, tucked away the perfect spot-kick,
sending the keeper the wrong way and registering a record 54th
goal for his country. Then, right on the half-time whistle, England had a
brilliant chance to make it 3-0. Saka again did well down the right before
finding Kane out wide. His pull-back was perfect to Jack Grealish coming
in at the far post. Somehow, though, Grealish miscued his shot and the
ball went wide of an open goal. As the players went off for the break, one
wondered if that miss may come back to haunt England.
Italy’s manager made changes upon the
restart, and it seemed that the home side had come out with a new
determination. They won an early corner, which Jordan Pickford flapped
away for another, but from the second one, the goalkeeper managed a
positive punch and the ball was cleared. Tempers were a little frayed by
now as decisions went against both teams, and
[Di Lorenzo]
picked up a yellow
card, for what, I’m not sure. On 50 minutes Lorenzo Pelligrini shot over
from a good position and you sensed that England were being put on the
back foot a great deal more this half. Sure enough, on 56 minutes the
Italians pulled a goal back. Harry Maguire, so solid up to that point,
sent a careless pass out of defence straight to a blue shirt. The ball
reached Pelligrini, and his clever reverse pass found Mateo Retegui,
completely unmarked, and he shot confidently past Pickford. Italy’s tails
were now well and truly up.
England were not getting forward nearly
as much since the break and they somehow needed to assert their authority
again. To be fair to Italy, they didn’t give England the chance as they
pressed and fought for every ball. England had to stand strong and defend
well, and this they did. For all their pressure Pickford had little to do.
A rare break on 67 minutes saw Saka show some great dribbling and control,
and his cross to the middle was just begging for someone to score, but
alas, there was no-one there as the ball came in.
Italy’s changes were having a good
effect on their team and Southgate sent on Phil Foden to replace Grealish
to try and reverse the pressure a little. Kane continued to be targeted by
the Italians, but he was causing all sorts of problems for the home
defenders. Sometimes his goalscoring prowess overshadows his all-round
game, and he was outstanding in this one. On 77 minutes a dangerous cross
was cleared but then Shaw was booked for time wasting at a throw-in.
Foolishly, Shaw then dived in recklessly for a tackle, which of course,
the Italian player made the most of, and the referee produced a second
yellow and then a red card for the Manchester United defender. England
were now really up against it. Foden was immediately taken off to be
replaced by Kieran Trippier, in an effort to shore up the defence and then
shortly after that, Conor Gallagher and Reece James were brought on for
Bellingham, who was limping, and Saka. As the end of the game was in
sight, you couldn’t help thinking, as us regular England watchers often
do, that the inevitable equaliser would soon come. But no, England
continued to defend superbly and Pickford was largely untroubled in this
period of intense pressure. Hearts were in mouths when an Italian forward
went down in the box under pressure from Trippier, but nothing was given
and England survived an extra five minutes to record a famous victory
against one of their oldest foes. In the end it was a thoroughly deserved
win.
|