England vs Italy LIVE: Euro 2024 result and final score as qualification confirmed
England 3-1 Italy: Two goals from Harry Kane and a brilliant strike from Marcus Rashford confirmed qualification for next summer’s European Championships
England wrapped up qualification for Euro 2024 with two matches to spare as Harry Kane’s brace helped Gareth Southgate’s side secure a 3-1 comeback win againstItaly.
Italy stood in their way of early progress as these nations met at Wembley for the first time since they pipped Southgate’s men to European Championship glory on penalties.
England have come a long way in the intervening 27 months and emphatically bounced back from former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca’s early gut punch under the arch.
Kane struck from the spot after Giovanni Di Lorenzo brought down the brilliant Jude Bellingham in the box, putting the hosts on course for the point they needed to go through.
But England wanted more and returned from the break with the bit between their teeth, with Real Madrid star Bellingham beginning a brilliant counter-attack that ended with him playing in Marcus Rashford to rifle home.
It will have been a special moment given the England forward missed one of the penalties against Italy and Kane added late gloss as the skipper looks forward to leading the national team to next year’s Euros.
Follow all the reaction from Wembley below plus get the latest odds and tips for England vs Italy right here:
England have qualified for Euro 2024 — now it’s about winning it
The main fact of this 3-1 win was that England have qualified for Euro 2024, but the whole feel was why they should be talking about winning it rather than being too concerned any more with the formality of getting there.
A historic major nation like Italy were just made look a minor inconvenience, as Gareth Southgate’s side almost toyed with them. They were just so much better, and have a knowledge of that personified in Jude Bellingham. Harry Kane got two and Marcus Rashford scored a brilliant goal to make it 2-1, but all of that seemed mere detail to the main event, which was the Real Madrid midfielder’s domination of the pitch and decoration of the play.
This England era has now been going on for at least six years, but it is possible that Bellingham’s emergence marks the beginning of something else. He has exactly the type of assurance that can turn fine challengers into elite champions. It is visible in everything he does, not least the outrageous touch for the Rashford goal that sent England to Germany for next summer.
Bellingham is exactly what England have been missing, for far more reasons than his position and his talent.
By Miguel Delaney at Wembley
England have qualified for Euro 2024 — now it’s about winning it
England 3-1 Italy: In a rematch of the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, Gareth Southgate’s side looked like potential European as they set the bar for Germany
Jude Bellingham once again proves he is the key for England’s Euro 2024 hopes
A couple of weeks earlier, Giovanni Di Lorenzo had perhaps the best view of Jude Bellingham’s burgeoning greatness. Not from his perspective, admittedly; there was little enjoyable about it as, close as he was, he was also powerless, backtracking as Bellingham slalomed through the Napoli defence, scoring for Real Madrid after a mesmeric solo run.
If the Napoli captain was determined to avert a repeat, he did when Bellingham surged clear. The methodology was agricultural, the cost a penalty for a scything challenge. Neither approach worked, each brought a goal, the second a Harry Kane spot kick. But if one of the world’s best right-backs struggled to find an answer to the question of how to stop Bellingham, he was not alone.
Bryan Cristante, seeing the prodigy in full flight, opted for a nudge in the back. It proved a cunning tactic, conceding a free kick, but not incurring a booking. Poor Francesco Acerbi found himself stranded in no-man’s land, lobbed brilliantly by Bellingham as he sent Marcus Rashford away to score the goal that, along with Kane’s clincher, sealed England’s place in Euro 2024.
Jude Bellingham once again proves he is the key for England’s Euro 2024 hopes
England 3-1 Italy: Goals from Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford helped England secure qualification for Euro 2024
FT England 3-1 Italy
England have qualified for Euro 2024 with two games to spare after coming from behind to defeat Italy thanks to two goals from Harry Kane and a brilliant Marcus Rashford strike.
Former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca punished some slack England defending to fire Italy into an early lead, in what was a rematch of the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
But England hit back as Kane converted a 32nd-minute penalty, which was won by Jude Bellingham following a bursting run into the Italy box.
And Bellingham was heavily involved again as he led an England counter-attack after the break, creating space for Rashford to slam a powerful strike into the corner.
Kane made sure of the victory with another breakaway goal late on - his 61st for England - and it means Gareth Southgate’s side can now begin their preparations for Germany next summer.
Here are how the England players rated at Wembley
Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford lead devastating England attack against Italy
England 3-1 Italy: Gareth Southgate’s side qualified for Euro 2024 with an impressive comeback win at Wembley
More from Kane who spoke to BBC 5 Live
“I feel like sometimes we make qualifying look easy, so credit to the boys because it’s not. We’ve had one of the toughest groups, you’ve seen over recent years some big nations not going to major tournaments, so to do it [qualify] with two games to spare just shows the path we are on.
“We can enjoy it, it was a really good performance from everyone, even when we went one nil down there was no panic. We stayed calm and carried on doing what we have done the whole campaign and obviously got the rewards in the second half.
“We’ve beaten big nations quite consistently over the last few years. To win in Italy is one thing, but to back it up here too, with the performance, 3-1, comfortable for us, I think we showed a real maturity out there.
“We won’t get carried away. Enjoy the next camp, two more games to work together. Then these tournaments come around quick. Before we know it we’ll be in March and on the eve of the next tournament.”
FT England 3-1 Italy
Harry Kane has been directly involved in 33 goals in his last 30 appearances for England (27 goals and six assists), including either scoring or assisting in each of his last 10 games for the Three Lions.
More records for Harry Kane
Harry Kane’s brace tonight saw him overtake Bobby Charlton (23) to become England’s all-time top scorer at Wembley (24 goals).
This was the 11th time that Kane has scored a brace for England, with only Nat Lofthouse (12) netting two or more goals in a game on more occasions for the national side.
Post-match reaction from Harry Kane
England captain Harry Kane, speaking on Channel 4: “Qualifying is never easy. Sometimes we are just expected to go to the big tournaments but we have seen in the past it is not as easy as it looks.
“We went 1-0 behind and stayed calm. We knew we coiuld get the winner and we have done it.
“I do [enjoy scoring at Wembley] It is our home. We have made it a real fortress over the years. We want to repay our fans with victories and we have done that today.
“I showed a bit of pace [for his second goal] which is not normally my strength. To qualify with two games to go, credit to everyone involved.”
FT England 3-1 Italy
England have qualified for the Euro 2024 finals with two Group C Games to spare.
They’ve done it by beating the team that denied them winning the trophy in 2021.
Full-time! England 3-1 Italy
90+3 mins: There goes the final whistle! England have qualified for Euro 2024 and join Scotland at next year’s tournament in Germany.
Italy suffer their first defeat under manager Luciano Spalletti and it’s been a deserved win for the Three Lions. The first half was a fairly even affair, reflected in the 1-1 scoreline at the break.
In the second 45 minutes though, England took control. Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane and Phil Foden were all fantastic and helped the hosts push higher up the pitch easing the pressure on the defence.
Kane and Rashford both scored and Italy’s resolve wilted. Job done.
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