With just three points needed to ensure a top-two finish in Group C, and qualification for Euro 2024, England will battle Italy at Wembley on Tuesday in a pivotal qualifier.
The Three Lions sit top of the log with 13 points, but the Azzurri are just three points and a place below.
England need to defeat Italy on Tuesday to ensure a top-two finish and qualify for next year’s finals with two games to spare. A draw can also grant them qualification if Ukraine ( who have played a game more) fail to beat Malta in the other group game.
Heading into this game, England overcame Australia 1-0 in a friendly game played at Wembley Stadium courtesy of Ollie Watkins’s goal.
For Italy, they secured a vital 4-0 victory over Malta on Saturday evening to pile more pressure on Gareth Southgate’s team ahead of this game.
They can’t secure qualification as yet even if they beat England on Tuesday as they currently sit second, level on points (10) with Ukraine, who are third in Group C.
Seven months ago, England defeated Italy 2-1 away from home to avenge their Euro final loss.
Declan Rice and Harry Kane scored for England, while Mateo Retegui got Italy’s consolation.
Match Facts
Following their 2-1 win in March, England are looking for consecutive wins over Italy for only the second time as they did that between 1948 and 1949.
Italy are unbeaten in their last five away matches against England (W2 D3) since a 2-0 defeat in a World Cup qualifier in 1977.
England have won their last 12 home European Championship qualifiers by an aggregate score of 47-4.
A player has scored a hat-trick in four of their last six games on home soil – Raheem Sterling versus Czechia (March 2019), Harry Kane versus Bulgaria (September 2019) and Montenegro (November 2019) and Bukayo Saka against North Macedonia (June 2023).
Italy haven’t lost any of their last 22 away European Championship qualifiers (W17 D5) since a 3-1 defeat to France in September 2006. If they avoid defeat here, they would set a new record for unbeaten away Euros qualifiers – Romania also had a 22-game run between 1991 and 2007.
England have suffered just one defeat in their last 62 major tournament qualifiers (World Cup/Euros), a 2-1 reverse away at Czechia in October 2019 (W49 D12). At home, the Three Lions are unbeaten in their last 35 such games (W31 D4) since losing to 3-2 to Croatia in November 2007 under Steve McClaren.
The Three Lions have met Italy on 31 occasions over the years, with England enjoying nine wins, drawing as many, but losing 13 times.
Probable Line-ups
England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice; Foden, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Frattesi, Locatelli, Barella; Berardi, Raspadori, Kean
