England 3-1 Italy: Kane nets brace to send Three Lions to Euro 2024

Last night marked the 50th anniversary of an event where Jan Tomaszewski, a Polish goalkeeper who was previously criticized by Brian Clough as being ‘a clown’, continuously made impressive saves at Wembley. His exceptional performance caused frustration for the England team, which was already experiencing a gradual decline.

Sir Alf Ramsey’s side featured Colin Bell, Roy McFarland, Norman Hunter and Allan Clarke but they could only draw 1-1 with Poland on a fraught night at Wembley. The result meant Ramsey’s team had failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup.

That failure ended the era that had begun with the triumph in the 1966 World Cup Final. Tomaszewski’s performance entered folklore and began to be used as shorthand for bad memories. Its anniversary was not a particularly auspicious omen.

However, after a challenging period where Gareth Southgate has dedicated significant time discussing the aesthetics of the Wembley arch, defending Jordan Henderson’s transfer to the Saudi Pro League, and unjustly facing criticism for his players’ decision to take a knee before previous matches, reminiscing about that evening in 1973 had a meaningful significance.

Despite not performing at their best, England managed to come from behind and defeat Italy 3-1. This victory served as a form of revenge for their loss in the Euro 2020 final two years ago and marked their first home win against the Azzurri since November 1977.

Yes, and during the process, they secured their spot in the upcoming European Championships with two games remaining. Jude Bellingham, who could arguably be considered the best player globally, played a significant role in their triumph. Additionally, Harry Kane’s career reached a milestone with his 60th and 61st international goals, contributing to their victory.

It is important to mention, especially for those who criticize Southgate without clear reasons, that the second goal, which was crucial, was scored by Marcus Rashford. Rashford is a forward who was believed to be out of form and many people had suggested Southgate should remove him from the team.

And so even if England were not at their best, the fact is they beat Italy when England were having an off night. Just like they beat them at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples in March. Southgate’s will go to the tournament in Germany next summer as one of the favourites and that is a status they deserve.

This was not a vintage Italy side. Winning Euro 2020 ushered in a bleak period for the national team, they have a new coach, Luciano Spalletti, and their woes increased this week when Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo left the squad because they are at the centre of a betting investigation.

Southgate made 11 changes from the team that beat Australia in last week’s friendly, which meant recalls for Maguire and Phillips and Marcus Rashford and the predictable dismay from some quarters that the manager was keeping faith with players who have never let him down.

The atmosphere in the stadium was quite contrasting. Fans behind one of the goals loudly chanted Maguire’s name, and England began the game with their usual confidence and style. The only moment of disruption occurred when Phillips received a yellow card for a tackle on Davide Frattesi.

After fifteen minutes, England received an unpleasant surprise as Italy scored the first goal. Gianluigi Donnarumma initiated the play by effortlessly maneuvering past Kane near his own six-yard box and passing the ball to the left side of Italy’s team.

Giovanni di Lorenzo received the ball as he was making a run down the right side of the field. He passed it back towards the goal, but Frattesi failed to make contact with it as he swung at it. Gianluca Scamacca, a former West Ham striker, then skillfully lifted the ball into the net from a very close distance.

Scamacca, the striker for Atalanta, scored his inaugural goal for his national team, which boosted both him and his team. Shortly after, Scamacca narrowly missed a left-footed shot, just past Jordan Pickford’s right-hand post. Italy appeared to pose a threat to England’s goal with every attack.

The crowd became quiet. Doubt, an old companion, started to hang in the air of the night. England started to appear ordinary, moving the ball with hesitation and at a slow pace. It required an adventurous and daring move from Bellingham to revive England’s performance in the game and reinvigorate the crowd.

The midfielder from Real Madrid made a quick advance towards the Italy box, evaded a tackle, and managed to reach a loose ball before Di Lorenzo, even though it seemed unlikely. Di Lorenzo gestured towards the ball, but video replays revealed that he hadn’t made contact with it. Kane confidently converted the penalty kick.

Maguire and John Stones made crucial interventions to prevent further dangerous attacks from Italy, while Italy missed a chance to regain the lead just before halftime.

Spurs’ Destiny Udogie cut inside his man eight yards out and tried to curl a right foot shot beyond Pickford but the Everton goalkeeper got down sharply to his left to push it out and England deflected the follow-up away for a corner.

At the start of the second half, England dominated the pace of the game and managed to score a goal 12 minutes later. Bellingham played a crucial role in this, as he intercepted an Italian attack near the England penalty area and swiftly received a clever pass from Phil Foden.

Bellingham passed the ball to Rashford on the left side. Bellingham made an excellent diagonal run, attracting players towards him. Meanwhile, Rashford skillfully moved past Di Lorenzo and took a powerful shot that flew into the net. Donnarumma barely reacted and couldn’t stop the goal.

Henderson entered the game during the second half, substituting Phillips. While there were both negative and positive reactions from the crowd, it was important to acknowledge that England is on their way to the finals in Germany. It would be unnecessary to tarnish this achievement with negative remarks.

Kane secured the win with a breakaway and precise goal 14 minutes before the end. England successfully made a comeback and will be participating in another significant tournament. Despite our higher hopes, we should always remember that moments like this should not be assumed, as the memories of Tomaszewski and 1973 serve as a reminder.