English comeback victorious and qualified, the national team plays it all against Ukraine
England comeback and beat Italy 3-1 in the match valid for Euro 2024 qualifying Group C and qualify for the final phase of the tournament. With this success, the English climb to 16 points and take the lead. Italy remains at 10 points and is overtaken by Ukraine, who win in Malta and – with one game more than the Azzurri – rises to 13 points. To reach direct qualification, Italy will have to beat North Macedonia and then play it all against Ukraine in Leverkusen in the last match of the group.
The match
For the Wembley match, Spalletti chooses the trident made up of Berardi, Scamacca and El Shaarawy, with Frattesi in midfield together with Cristante and his Inter teammate Barella. First starter for Udogie on the left. For his part, Southgate relies on Rashford-Bellingham-Foden up front behind Kane. Phillips preferred to Henderson in midfield.
Not a high pace at the start of the match, in the 7th minute the first English acceleration with Rushford, then Kane extends for Phillips, and Di Lorenzo concedes the first corner of the match. In the 12th minute, Rashford takes a long-range free-kick but his right-footed shot goes over the crossbar. However, at the first attack Italy passes: in the 15th minute Berardi serves the overlap of Di Lorenzo, low cross, Frattesi misses the intervention but does not Scamacca scores his first goal for Italy from two steps away to make it 1-0. Shortly after Berardi’s service for El Shaarawy who tries to cut Frattesi into the area, wrong control and Walker protects Pickford’s exit. Shortly after Kane’s mistake, and Barella misses the backheel to unmark El Shaarawy in the area. The Italian pressure continues and in the 23rd minute Scamacca receives from Berardi and from the edge he turns and hits a left-footed shot that ends just wide.
The English struggled to change pace, with the Azzurri waiting in their own half to restart. In the 32nd minute, however, the first mistake from the Azzurri rearguard came and it was fatal: Bellingham won a rebound from Scalvini and wedged himself into the area, with Di Lorenzo making a sliding intervention and taking Real Madrid’s talent with Turpin pointing to the spot. After the VAR check, Kane kicks the penalty, displaces Donnarumma and makes it 1-1. In the 36th minute Maguire anticipates Frattesi in the corner and at the end of the first half Kane unloads for Bellingham, a tense left foot, but Donnarumma stretches out and blocks. In the middle of added time in the 47th minute Udogie enters the area, sets Stones down and finishes, Pichford repels with his punches and then Berardi and Di Lorenzo fail to put a shot on target.
At the start of the second half Kane serves Foden vertically who falls in the area complaining about the contact with Udogie, Turpin continues. England raises the pace and on the restart in the 57th minute they double their lead: great play by Bellingham on the restart in midfield, service for Rashford who centralizes, leaves Di Lorenzo and Udogie in place and passes Donnarumma with his right foot to make it 2-1 for England. In the 65th minute, a serious refereeing error by Turpin who did not get a double yellow for an obvious hammer-foot intervention by Phillips, already booked, on Barella.
Spalletti changes and inserts Di Marco, Kean and Bastoni but things don’t change and in the 77th minute England scores a hat trick: Bastoni’s hole, Kane frees himself from Scalvini and sprints into the open field, leaving Donnarumma no chance for the 3- 1. Raspadori also comes on for Berardi but Italy is unable to find the lines to reach the goal. In the final Kean tries from the edge but Pickford is ready to block.
Source-www.adnkronos.com