Match ends, Italy 1, England 2.
Harry Kane became England's all-time record goalscorer as they opened their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a first away victory against Italy since 1961.
Kane wrote his name into the history books in the 44th minute when he beat Gianluigi Donnarumma from the penalty spot for his 54th goal, overtaking previous record holder Wayne Rooney.
Declan Rice gave England an early lead when he scored from close range after Kane's shot was blocked before the captain put memories of his penalty miss against France in the World Cup quarter-final in Qatar aside with an emphatic spot-kick.
Italy, whistled off at half-time in their first international in Naples for a decade, improved as England became sloppy.
Debutant Mateo Retegui was the beneficiary of poor work from Harry Maguire, whose failed attempt to close down the danger on the edge of the box allowed the Italians to shift the ball to the 23-year-old to drill an unerring finish past Jordan Pickford after 56 minutes.
England's drop in performance was compounded by Luke Shaw's second yellow card with 10 minutes left but they hung on for a vital win.
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England show two sides
England's first-half display was consummate in its control, Italy made to look decidedly average as Rice and Jude Bellingham controlled affairs and Kane made history.
The only blot was a dreadful miss by Jack Grealish that would have made it 3-0 and surely avoided the anxious second-half showing that followed.
Italy were still in the hunt, just, and after what would surely have been some choice half-time words from coach Roberto Mancini they came out fighting in the second half.
Their cause was helped by an England performance barely recognisable from the first half, the visitors conceding control as well as the goal that set up a tense finish.
Shaw's dismissal did little to help England's cause late on. The defender picked up the first of his two yellow cards in the 78th minute for time-wasting when preparing to take a throw-in and the second came just two minutes later for a mis-timed challenged on Retegui.
Italy, however, lacked the quality to make England pay the price and in the end their Euro 2024 campaign got off to the ideal start.
England now have the chance to build on these three points when they face Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday.
England win in subdued Naples
The theory was that Italy's football authorities chose the ramshackle but hugely atmospheric Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to make life uncomfortable for England.
In practice, there were empty seats inside this vast bowl and Italy's poor first half meant that it took until after the break for the home support to come to life.
It had been suggested Napoli's fans struggle to form an attachment with the Italy team and their silence throughout the first half and reaction at half-time suggested they could hardly wait to get back to throwing their passion and fire behind their own team as they run away with Serie A and chase the Champions League.
The subdued mood played into England's hands, Gareth Southgate's side only making life difficult for themselves with their own indifferent showing that almost allowed Italy back in.
Player of the match
GnontoWilfried Gnonto
Italy
Avg
- Squad number7Player nameGnontoAverage rating
7.87
- Squad number1Player nameG DonnarummaAverage rating
4.51
- Squad number9Player nameScamaccaAverage rating
4.39
- Squad number19Player nameReteguiAverage rating
4.37
- Squad number6Player nameVerrattiAverage rating
4.20
- Squad number20Player nameTonaliAverage rating
4.20
- Squad number4Player nameSpinazzolaAverage rating
4.13
- Squad number17Player namePolitanoAverage rating
4.13
- Squad number10Player namePellegriniAverage rating
4.12
- Squad number3Player nameTolóiAverage rating
4.07
- Squad number8Player nameJorginhoAverage rating
4.06
- Squad number2Player nameDi LorenzoAverage rating
4.05
- Squad number11Player nameBerardiAverage rating
3.98
- Squad number16Player nameCristanteAverage rating
3.97
- Squad number18Player nameBarellaAverage rating
3.96
- Squad number15Player nameAcerbiAverage rating
3.91
England
Avg
- Squad number4Player nameRiceAverage rating
7.35
- Squad number9Player nameKaneAverage rating
7.34
- Squad number10Player nameBellinghamAverage rating
7.09
- Squad number7Player nameSakaAverage rating
6.81
- Squad number5Player nameStonesAverage rating
6.67
- Squad number2Player nameWalkerAverage rating
6.37
- Squad number1Player namePickfordAverage rating
6.26
- Squad number19Player nameGallagherAverage rating
6.03
- Squad number8Player namePhillipsAverage rating
5.97
- Squad number12Player nameTrippierAverage rating
5.82
- Squad number17Player nameJamesAverage rating
5.65
- Squad number11Player nameGrealishAverage rating
5.63
- Squad number20Player nameFodenAverage rating
5.38
- Squad number3Player nameShawAverage rating
5.34
- Squad number6Player nameMaguireAverage rating
4.96
Line-ups
Italy
Formation 4-3-3
- 1G Donnarumma
- 2Di LorenzoBooked at 53mins
- 3Tolói
- 15AcerbiBooked at 90mins
- 4Spinazzola
- 18BarellaSubstituted forCristanteat 62'minutes
- 8JorginhoBooked at 61minsSubstituted forTonaliat 69'minutes
- 6VerrattiSubstituted forScamaccaat 88'minutes
- 11BerardiSubstituted forPolitanoat 62'minutes
- 19Retegui
- 10PellegriniSubstituted forGnontoat 69'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Darmian
- 7Gnonto
- 9Scamacca
- 12Pessina
- 13Emerson
- 14Scalvini
- 16Cristante
- 17Politano
- 20Tonali
- 21Falcone
- 22Meret
- 23Romagnoli
England
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Pickford
- 2WalkerBooked at 71mins
- 5Stones
- 6MaguireBooked at 57mins
- 3ShawBooked at 80mins
- 8Phillips
- 4RiceBooked at 29mins
- 10BellinghamSubstituted forGallagherat 85'minutes
- 7SakaSubstituted forJamesat 85'minutes
- 9Kane
- 11GrealishSubstituted forFodenat 69'minutesSubstituted forTrippierat 81'minutes
Substitutes
- 12Trippier
- 13Ramsdale
- 14Henderson
- 15Dier
- 16Chilwell
- 17James
- 18Guéhi
- 19Gallagher
- 20Foden
- 21Maddison
- 22Forster
- 23Toney
- Referee:
- Srdjan Jovanovic
- Attendance:
- 44,536
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home58%
- Away42%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away4
- Corners
- Home7
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away6
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Italy 1, England 2.
Post update
Attempt missed. Mateo Retegui (Italy) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Leonardo Spinazzola with a cross.
Booking
Francesco Acerbi (Italy) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Francesco Acerbi (Italy).
Post update
Harry Kane (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Italy. Conceded by Kalvin Phillips.
Substitution
Substitution, Italy. Gianluca Scamacca replaces Marco Verratti.
Post update
Corner, Italy. Conceded by Conor Gallagher.
Post update
Foul by Marco Verratti (Italy).
Post update
Conor Gallagher (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, England. Conor Gallagher replaces Jude Bellingham.
Substitution
Substitution, England. Reece James replaces Bukayo Saka.
Substitution
Substitution, England. Kieran Trippier replaces Phil Foden.
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Luke Shaw (England) for a bad foul.
Post update
Mateo Retegui (Italy) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Luke Shaw (England).
Booking
Luke Shaw (England) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Wilfried Gnonto (Italy).
Post update
Bukayo Saka (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Comments
Join the conversation
Laughable from Dublin : it was a difficult chance.
1st half brilliant.
2nd half sitting there watching his team get pegged back and back and not knowing what to do to change it.
How did Philips play the full 90 but Foden only 5 minutes?
Crazy.
Well Done England !
Want to get behind GS, but why is he always reactive with substitutes? Get players on sooner to help with game management but he always waits until it’s too late!
It took 62 years to beat them on their own patch. It was a excellent result.
Congratulations to Harry Kane. His critics are so wrong, what does he have to do.
Kyle Walker kept getting exposed in the time wasting department. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from them crying Italians..