Declan Rice scored his third England goal as the Three Lions began their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 Group C win in Italy.
The West Ham United midfielder was in the right place to net with a left-footed shot after 13 minutes at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, after Harry Kane’s initial shot had been blocked.
Kane then became England’s all-time record goalscorer when he scored from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time after Napoli’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo was ruled to have handled a corner following a VAR review by Serbian referee Srdjan Jovanovic.
If England were dominant in the first half, Italy took control after the break and halved their deficit through debutant Mexico-based centre-forward Mateo Retegui’s low shot.
Gareth Southgate then lost Luke Shaw to took bookable offences in less than 60 seconds with ten minutes to play, but the visitors held on to win in Italy for the first time since 1961, when future Hammer Jimmy Greaves score the winning goal in a friendly in Rome.
Italy manager Roberto Mancini sent on Gianluca Scamacca as a late substitute but the Hammers striker had little time to make an impact or find an added-time equaliser.
For Rice, it was his third goal on his 40th appearance for England, while Scamacca was earning his tenth cap for Italy.
England’s win avenged their penalty shootout defeat in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley and takes them top of Group C alongside North Macedonia, who defeated Malta 2-1.
The fifth country in the group, Ukraine, will visit London on Sunday for England’s second of eight qualifiers ahead of next summer’s tournament in Germany. Italy make the short trip to Malta on the same evening.
For full details of West Ham’s March Men’s international commitments, click here.
