England managed to overturn an early deficit to beat the defending champions, Italy, 3-1 during Tuesday's Group C qualifier at Wembley. The victory was fueled by a double from Harry Kane and a strike from Marcus Rashford. This result is particularly significant as it's the first time since 1949 that England has won two consecutive games against Italy, especially after falling 2-1 in Naples in March. Furthermore, it's the first time they've beaten Italy on home soil since 1977. The game began with a shock for the home fans when Gianluca Scamacca scored in the 15th minute, capitalizing on a cross from Giovanni di Lorenzo.
England captain Harry Kane scored a brace, and Marcus Rashford also scored, as England rallied from behind to upset title holders Italy 3-1 in a Group C qualifier at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday. It was the first time England had won successive games against Italy since 1949 earlier they were defeated 2-1 in Naples in March. England defeated Italy at home for the first time since 1977. The visitors startled the home crowd in the 15th minute when Gianluca Scamacca swept in a cross from Giovanni di Lorenzo against the run of play.
Looking to move past the memory of their Euro 2020 final defeat at the same venue, England equalized in the 32nd minute. Jude Bellingham's run into the box ended in a foul by Di Lorenzo, and following a tedious VAR check, Kane stepped up to score a composed penalty that fooled Donnarumma. England took the lead in the 57th minute when Marcus Rashford hammered a shot into the bottom corner, assisted by the Real Madrid star Bellingham.
Kane put the game out of reach in the 77th minute, dribbling past the Italian defense to score his second, leaving Gareth Southgate cheering as England qualified unbeaten with 16 points from six matches. With this performance, the 30-year-old striker has now netted 24 goals at Wembley, surpassing the legendary 1966 World Cup winner Bobby Charlton by one goal.
The loss leaves Luciano Spalletti's Italian side with 10 points, meaning they must now fight Ukraine for the second qualifying spot in the group. England, who only required a draw to guarantee their place in the German tournament, opted for a drastically different starting XI compared to the team that edged out Australia 1-0 in a friendly last Friday.
The tactical shift paid off immediately, resulting in fluid passing and a more aggressive midfield presence from Bellingham, though Italy remained a threat on the counter. Notably, Southgate handed Kalvin Phillips his first start since March despite his limited minutes at Manchester City, pairing him with Bellingham and Declan Rice. Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson started on the bench. Reflecting on the win, Kane remarked that qualification is never a given; while people often assume England will simply glide into major tournaments, history shows it's harder than it looks, and they had to remain composed to find the winning goals.
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 stayed calm and knew we could get the winner and we have done it, Kane said after the victory.