Italy vs England LIVE: Nations League result, final score and reaction as Azzurri win to relegate England
Italy 1-0 England: Three Lions relegated from Group A thanks to Giacomo Raspadori’s goal
England suffered the ignominy of relegation from the Nations League’s top tier after a tepid defeat to Italy that raises further concern ahead of the winter World Cup.
Among the favourites to triumph in Qatar having reached the semi-finals four years ago and the Euro 2020 final, things have gone awry for Gareth Southgate’s side of late.
England failed to win any of their four June fixtures and produced a meek response to their 4-0 Molineux mauling against Hungary, with Giacomo Raspadori sealing Roberto Mancini’s Italy a 1-0 victory on Friday night.
A fifth straight match without a win means Southgate’s men have been relegated from Group A of the Nations League - a competition they finished third in three years ago - with a game to spare. Demotion is embarrassing but the performance is arguably of more concern given it is just 59 days until their World Cup opener against Iran.
Relive the action from the San Siro as Italy defeat England in the Nations League:
Italy vs England
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of England’s Nations League match against Italy from the San Siro. Gareth Southgate’s men are on the verge of getting relegated to League B and cannot afford to lose tonight’s game.
Defeats to Hungary back in June have put England in this position and now they must beat Italy and Germany to have any hopes of staying in the top tier of the Nations League.
On top of this pressure, these two games are the last two internationals before the World Cup starts in November and Southgate will want to use them as an opportunity to fine tune his squad ahead of the tournament.
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