March 24, (THEWILL) – England notched a 2-1 victory over Italy in Naples, ending the host team’s 40-game unbeaten run in European qualifiers and giving Harry Kane a record to be proud of.
Declan Rice and Kane scored in the first half for the Three Lions, who dominated the opening period of the game. However, a goal from debutant, Mateo Retegui, kickstarted a massive shift in momentum in the second half, with Italy pressuring England into a number of errors.
The match saw England and Italy exchange periods of dominance early on, with both teams squandering early chances. However, it was England who took the lead after 13 minutes when Rice smashed home from close range.
Kane doubled the lead just before the break, converting a penalty to become England’s all-time leading male goalscorer only for Retegui to pull one back for Italy after the break for the tense finish that the game witnessed to commence.
Despite finishing the qualifier with 10 men after Luke Shaw received two quick yellow cards, England managed to hold on for the win. The victory marked England’s first win on Italian soil since 1961 and provided the perfect start to their journey towards Euro 2024.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
