Italy 1, England 0 (UEFA Nations League Group A3)
Giacomo Raspadori scored the winner in the San Siro as Italy relegated England to League B of the Nations League.
Embed from Getty ImagesResults elsewhere in England’s group A3 saw them condemned to relegation as Hungary shocked Germany to top the group and England went five games without a win for the first time since June 2014 under Roy Hodgson and only worried Italy with shots after 76 minutes.
In the end, England ended the game having endured a total of 450 minutes without a goal from open play having produced so few chances for Harry Kane.
They share the unenviable record of not having scored a non-penalty goal in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League so far with San Marino.
Germany are now England’s last opponents before the World Cup in Qatar and in wretched form – they were booed off the pitch at the San Siro by the travelling fans.
England midfielder Declan Rice was sure that England would bounce back against Germany.
He said: “It’s obviously disappointing, we try to win every game but we slipped below our usual standards.
“We lacked the cutting edge in the end but we are performing better than in the summer.
“We score goals for fun in training, we’ll come good.”
Nick Pope and Jude Bellingham were given starts in a 3-4-3 system at a partly full San Siro crowd of over 50,000 including 4,000 England fans against an injury-hit Italy and he was joined in the side by City’s Phil Foden and fit-again Kyle Walker.
United captain Harry Maguire represented the red half of Manchester as England boss Gareth Southgate continued to show loyalty to players who hadn’t let him down.
City’s John Stones was suspended after his red card in England’s defeat to Hungary in June.
And the English National Anthem was applauded by Italian fans as an image of Queen Elizabeth was shown on a big screen while England’s senior men’s team sang ‘God Save the King’ for the first time in over seven decades.
Italy hit the woodwork twice as they
And Italy might have had a lead in only the 5th minute after West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca’s header came back off the the woodwork after Pope got his hands to it with Maguire beaten in the air at the back post.
Chances were relatively few for both sides, Bryan Cristante saw a shot blocked towards the end of the first half as England were below their best against the more progressive Italians.
Italy were more productive down England’s left flank where Maguire was left exposed by Bukayo Saka who was playing a rare left wing back role for the first time – but he struggled.
Bellingham and Foden were bright sparks for England but by half time it seemed that England would never break down Italy.
Raheem Sterling had a poor first half but was brought down by Leonardo Bonucci early in the second half for a free kick close to the edge of the box.
Reece James stepped up but blazed the free kick wide and over the bar without significantly bending it.
Bonucci blocked a shot by Kane when Foden was free for a square ball.
Rafael Toloi and Kane clashed heads after both went for the resulting corner, the knock seemed to take the wind out of England who still looked short on ideas.
Nicolo Barela missed a sitter from 10 yards out, shooting wide of the back post after meeting a cross from the left with England’s defence still looking porous – their blushes were saved by the offside flag shortly before the hour mark.
Kane’s right wing cross was put behind for a corner as Bellingham threatened to get on the end of it.
Italy made a double change after 63 minutes when Wilfried Gnonto (of Leeds United) and Tommaso Pobega came on for Scamacca and Barella.
And it was almost inevitable that the Italy opener came after 68minutes after a period of pressure from the home side.
Napoli’s Giacomo Raspadori came up with wonderful finish from the edge of the box after bringing an accurate long ball from Bonucci down, creating space against a rusty Walker, and then curling it past Pope.
It was his fourth goal for the Azurri since his debut on June 4, 2021.
Jack Grealish and Luke Shaw were immediately introduced by Southgate for Saka and Walker and less than 20 minutes to rescue England who switched to a back 4.
Gianluigi Donnarumma saved twice in succession from Kane as England applied pressure.
Manolo Gabbiadini replaced Raspadori with 9 minutes to go as England continued to toil – a James free kick was parried by Donnarumma.
Bellingham blazed over as England fizzled out – Gabbiadini’s shot was saved by the legs of Pope while Federico Di Marco’s cross was deflected against the post and out and Cristante blazed over with Italy able to exploit spaces behind as England went for the equaliser.
Emerson Palmieri and Davide Frattesi replaced Di Marco and Jorginho as Italy’s final changes with the home side playing out time at the end as Rice shot straight at Donnarumma during six minutes of agonising injury time during which a silly booking for Grealish will see him banned for the dead rubber against Germany on Monday.