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.
 

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