While many expected England to end its 55 years of suffering on Sunday night, the wait for the international glory of the Three Lions will only continue when they have seen Italy break their hearts from the spot.
Despite taking the 1-0 lead after just two minutes thanks to Luke Shaw’s effervescent effort, the 67,173 Wembley fans had to endure a heart-pounding finish at this summer’s European Championships.
Struggling to reach a level similar to that established in opening exchanges, Italian Leonardo Bonucci deservedly equaled the score after 67 minutes and embodied what was another difficult performance from Roberto Mancini’s men.
With Arsenal star Bukayo Saka missing the crucial penalty amidst heartbreaking scenes on the England pitch, we took a look at the main talking points as the Azzurri lifted their second European crown at Wembley.
Italy returns to the battle
After seeing Luke Shaw open the scoring with just a couple of minutes on the clock, Italy knew they really needed to regroup and there is no doubt that the Azzurri made their way into Sunday’s final at Wembley.
Gaining a string of acclaim from across Europe after opening their season with a 3-0 win against Turkey, the Blues quickly got into the game and Roberto Mancini’s adjustments in the second half helped his side dominate big bouts of the match .
Forcing an impressive Jordan Pickford to a couple of vital saves in the second half, the former Manchester City manager will still be very impressed with his side’s stamina in the face of hostile support from England in the capital.
Italy, in fact, found themselves at a disadvantage for the first time in a match at Euro 2020, while overall they spent 65 minutes less against England in the final, 21 more than they had been in 33 victories. consecutive unbeaten runs (in all competitions). in the final (44).
Coming from behind and ultimately a well-deserved winner on an exciting night in north London, it’s hard to argue that Mancini didn’t outsmart the man who stood on his opposite bench on Sunday night.
English heartbreak
Still at their peak after scoring that famous 2-0 win over Germany’s historic rivals in their first knockout match, many from all over England have pointed to the Three Lions as the main contenders to lift their first international crown since 1966.
However, failing to maintain their initial flurry and a chance to take advantage of Shaw’s quick opening, Gareth Southgate’s ultra-defensive approach in the second half, coupled with his late substitutions, saw him being sidelined. of fans and experts.
At the end of Sunday’s final and the chance to make history with just 34.4%, the lowest possession in a game at Wembley since November 2016, the decision to replace Declan Rice with a quarter of an hour to go is it was a call that raised a lot of eyebrows.
Taken to penalties and desperate to replicate what they managed to do against Colombia in Russia three years ago, the decision to knock out both Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford seconds before the final whistle sounded like a naïve call.
With both unable to get into rhythm form before moving up from 12 yards, both Manchester United forwards were unable to convert and the match was finally decided when second-half subbukayo Saka saw his effort rejected by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Azzurri make history
While England fans may have been heartbroken after Saka’s missed penalty on Sunday night, celebrations at Italy’s pitch underscored what has been an extraordinary resurgence under Mancini’s leadership.
Losing a place in the World Cup finals in Russia three years ago, the Azzurri have only continued a remarkable path of form that now sees them deservedly crowned reigning European champions.
Lifting their first European title in 53 years, the longest gap between any single nation’s tournament championships, Italy has become a true fan favorite with neutrals across the continent.
Showing that grit and a desire to return from 1-0 with just a couple of minutes on the clock, the former Manchester City manager also saw his side continue to break a string of long-standing records during their summer adventure. .
With Mancini cementing his place in Italian popular law, the Blues managed to outdo both European heavyweights Belgium and Spain in their knockout run and Sunday’s win at Wembley was their 34th consecutive race without relishing the defeat, a race that dates back to September 2018.
Report of the match
England: Pickford (8), Trippier (7), Walker (6), Stones (7), Maguire (7.5), Shaw (7.5), Phillips (7), Rice (8), Mount (6), Sterling (6), Kane (5.5)
Subtitles: Rashford (N / A), Sancho (N / A), Saka (8), Grealish (6.5)
Italy: G Donnarumma (7.5), Di Lorenzo (5), Bonucci (7.5), Chiellini (7.5), Emerson (5.5), Barella (7.5), Jorginho (7), Verratti (8) ), Church (8), Still (4), I teach (6.5)
Subtitles: Belotti (4), Berardi (6.5), Bernardeschi (6), Locatelli (7), Cristante (6), Florenzi (N / A)
Aims: England: Shaw 2 ‘- Italy: Bonucci 67’
yellow cards: England: Maguire – Italy: Bonucci, Chiellini, Jorginho, Insigne
red cards: N / A
Referee: Björn Kuipers
