Italy started their EURO 2024 qualifying campaign in the worst possible way with a home defeat to England, as although Mateo Retegui scored on his debut, the disastrous first half was decisive.
The Azzurri had lost only once in competitive matches to England, a World Cup qualifier in November 1977, recently winning the EURO 2020 Final and Nations League meeting. This time they are in the same EURO 2024 qualifying group as Malta, North Macedonia and Ukraine.
Both sides had injury problems, missing the likes of Ciro Immobile, Federico Chiesa, Giacomo Raspadori, Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Marcus Rashford, Nick Pope and Mason Mount. Italo-Argentine Mateo Retegui was thrown straight into the starting XI for his international debut.
There was a good Italy chance in the opening minutes, but Giovanni Di Lorenzo mis-kicked the volley on a Lorenzo Pellegrini free kick when unmarked.
Jude Bellingham surged forward and saw his strike fingertipped over the bar by Gianluigi Donnarumma and England scored on the resulting corner. Harry Kane’s attempt was charged down and Declan Rice fired in the rebound from seven yards.
The goal seemed to completely deflate the hosts, who had started with an aggressive high press that rapidly dissipated.
Kane flashed a ball across the face of goal that was just beyond Bellingham, but Rice was booked for time-wasting after 29 minutes, while Kalvin Phillips drilled inches wide from distance after Jorginho lost the ball.
Retegui had a shot charged down in the box from Marco Verratti’s pass, but England were awarded a penalty when Kane tried to chest down a corner and it struck Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s arm first. Kane missed a crucial penalty at the World Cup, but converted this one to become England’s all-time top scorer on 54 goals.
Jack Grealish should’ve made it 3-0 moments later, but incredibly turned wide of an open goal from six yards. Italy had not gone into half-time of a World Cup or European Championship qualifier trailing 2-0 at home since facing Switzerland in October 1992, but that game ended 2-2.
Pellegrini blasted wide under pressure from Kyle Walker, while Rice risked a second yellow card for a clumsy and very high boot that ended up clattering teammate Harry Maguire more than Barella.
Barella stole back the ball from Maguire and was fouled in the process, as Verratti and then Pellegrini released Retegui for an angled drive into the far bottom corner. The 23-year-old born in Argentina from Italian heritage scored on his Azzurri debut.
Verratti and Sandro Tonali had shots charged down, while Matteo Politano couldn’t get on the end of a Willy Gnonto cross from the left, while several England players were booked for time-wasting, including Luke Shaw, who under a minute later received another yellow card for a foul on Retegui.
The Azzurri poured forward, but despite all the time-wasting, there were only five minutes of stoppages awarded.
Italy 1-2 England
Rice 13 (E), Kane pen 44 (E), Retegui 56 (I)
Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Acerbi, Toloi, Spinazzola; Barella (Cristante 62), Jorginho (Tonali 69), Verratti (Scamacca 88); Berardi (Politano 62), Retegui, Pellegrini (Gnonto 69)
England: Pickford; Walker, Maguire, Stones, Shaw; Phillips, Rice; Saka (James 85), Bellingham (Gallagher 85), Grealish (Foden 69) (Trippier 81); Kane
Ref: Jovanovic (SRB)
Sent off: Shaw 80 (E)