England secured their spot at Euro 2024, rallying with a brace from Harry Kane to triumph 3-1 over defending champions Italy at Wembley on Tuesday.
Requiring a single point to ensure qualification for next year’s tournament in Germany, Gareth Southgate’s squad fell behind early to Gianluca Scamacca’s goal. However, buoyed by an outstanding performance from Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, England leveled the score before halftime through Kane’s penalty. Bellingham’s energetic run earned the penalty, and the 20-year-old prodigy also played a pivotal role in Marcus Rashford’s decisive goal in the second half.
Underscoring his significance to the England team, Kane found the net again in the closing stages, securing his 61st goal for the Three Lions as the captain.
Remaining unbeaten with two group games left, England, victors in five out of six qualifiers, are guaranteed to clinch the top spot in Group C.
After failing to qualify for the previous year’s World Cup, Italy faces a tense struggle to secure the second automatic qualification spot in the group. Luciano Spalletti’s team, placed third, trails Ukraine by three points. Although Italy is assured of a playoff spot, they will face North Macedonia at home and travel to Ukraine in their final matches.
England have suffered only one defeat in their last 63 Euro and World Cup qualifiers. However, in the Southgate era, reaching major tournaments has not been the issue. The defining factor of Southgate’s tenure will be his ability to end England’s quest for a first international men’s trophy since the 1966 World Cup. After their defeat in the European Championship final against Italy two years ago, Southgate’s team gained a measure of revenge by beating the Italians twice in the group stage.
Southgate believes his current team is more well-rounded than the one that lost in the Euro final. With key players like Kane and Bellingham in the lineup, there can be no excuses if they don’t bring home the silverware from Germany.
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