October 18, (THEWILL) – Gareth Southgate believes England have progressed from the toughest European Championship qualifying group after beating Italy 3-1 at Wembley on Tuesday, to secure their place at Euro 2024 with two games to spare.
Former West Ham striker, Gianluca Scamacca, had put Italy ahead before Harry Kane levelled from the spot and Marcus Rashford finished off a fine team move. Kane added his second as England came from behind to claim the three points required to confirm their spot in the 2024 finals in Germany.
“It’s probably the toughest qualifying group, with Ukraine, Italy and the results North Macedonia have had,” said Southgate, whose side bounced back from the 2022 World Cup exit by winning in Italy in March.
The manager accepts England are among the favourites for Euro 2024, pointing to his squad’s strength in depth after the players who beat Australia in the summer helped secure qualification. Southgate singled out midfielder Jude Bellingham for particular praise, citing the 19-year-old’s maturity and impact at such a young age.
England now host Malta and travel to North Macedonia in November buoyed by this impressive victory over Italy. The pressure is off Southgate’s side, while Italy must beat North Macedonia next time out to keep their own qualification hopes alive before facing a decisive final game in Ukraine.
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.
