England v Italy
UEFA European Qualifier
7.45pm GMT, Tuesday 17 October 2023
Live on Channel 4
Wembley Stadium connected by EE

Gareth Southgate says his England team are determined to keep producing memorable nights as they welcome Italy to Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Tuesday night.

The Three Lions know a draw will secure their place at next summer’s UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany due to their head-to-head record over the other teams but Southgate stressed his side will be in search of all three points.

He said: “Ultimately, the first objective is always to qualify for the tournaments and our performances earlier in the group have put us in a really strong position. So the first thing we want to do is play well and win the game but we know if it's the 87th minute and we're level, then we don't need to lob the goalkeeper into the box at the end of the game.”

This will be the first time England have played Italy at Wembley Stadium since the EURO 2020 final, with last year’s 0-0 draw taking place at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux and the other two matches between the sides taking place in Italy.

We're live as @kylewalker2 and Gareth Southgate look ahead to tomorrow's #EURO2024 qualifier against Italy! 💬 https://t.co/A7eK13jH13

— England (@England) October 16, 2023

In his pre-match press conference, Southgate was asked what were the major differences between his current team and the side that lost the EURO 2020 final on penalties.

He said: “The experience of winning big matches and consistent performances. We've been ranked in the top five in the world now since 2018 and I don't think there's been any other period over the last 30 or 40 years where that's been the case.

“So these boys are consistently producing big nights, memorable nights, good performances and exciting performances in general, and we want to keep doing that.”

Getting set for Italy. 💪 pic.twitter.com/VThZUOh7YJ

— England (@England) October 16, 2023

Southgate was joined in his press conference by defender Kyle Walker and the Manchester City man believes the adversity they experienced in that final has benefitted the team in the long run.

He said: “To do what we did in that special summer and to arrive so close and to concede a goal from a set play where we had been so good, it was devastating. But I feel just like I did at club level. I went to Porto [to play in the Champions League final] and lost against Chelsea, and then two years later we did the treble.

“I feel people and teams evolve from that (experiencing defeats). I think you learn from occasions where you've been in finals and lost finals and the setbacks to then go to achieve something great.

“It is what the boss said there. If we get a draw then we go through. So it's about managing the game, obviously, first and foremost, it's about going out and putting a performance on and winning. But I won't be ashamed if it's a 0-0 and we're in the EUROs and I’m going to represent my country at the finals.”

💪💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/0tH0CWyFQC

— England (@England) October 15, 2023

Match Facts

● Following their 2-1 win in March, England are looking for consecutive wins over Italy for only the second time, also doing so with wins in 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 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.

● Should Declan Rice or Kane score for England in this match, they could emulate Tommy Lawton in scoring in consecutive appearances for the Three Lions against Italy, with Lawton the only player to ever do so, with his goals coming nine years and three days apart between 1939 and 1948.

● Kane has been directly involved in at least one goal in 17 of his 18 appearances in European Championship qualifying for England (20 goals, eight assists), including the last 14 in a row. The only game he didn’t score or assist in was against Estonia in October 2015.

● Italy manager Luciano Spalletti’s previous game at Wembley came while in charge of Inter Milan, losing 1-0 in November 2018 against Spurs in a UEFA Champions League match. The last four Italy managers to face England for the first time have all drawn, with Giovanni Trappatoni the last manager to beat the Three Lions in their first game against them (1-0 in November 2000).

Head to head

The Three Lions have met Italy on 31 previous occasions over the years, with England enjoying nine wins, sharing nine draws but losing 13 times.

Our first game came back in May 1933, when it ended in a 1-1 draw in Rome.

You can see details of our last three games below:-

Italy 1-2 England, 23 March 2023, Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Napoli

Italy 1-0 England, 23 September 2022, San Siro, Milan

England 0-0 Italy, 11 June 2022, Molineux, Wolverhampton

England Squad News

Ticket Information

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Match Programme

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How to watch or stream

England sealed their place at UEFA EURO 2024 with an impressive 3-1 victory over Italy at Wembley.

A double from Harry Kane either side of a Marcus Rashford strike was enough for all three points as the Three Lions came from behind after Gianluca Scamacca gave Italy an early lead.

A Kane penalty quickly restored parity before Rashford put Gareth Southgate’s side ahead just before the hour and England’s record scorer sealed victory with his second of the night as the Three Lions secured their tickets to Germany next summer with two games to spare.

England started brightly with a number of early crosses into the Italian box, while Rashford saw a free-kick fire just over the bar.

But it was the visitors who opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour, as Scamacca rifled into the roof of the net from close range after Giovanni Di Lorenzo found him with a cross after being released down the right.

Scamacca then had a chance to double the Azzurri’s lead nearly ten minutes later, but his rasping drive was narrowly wide of Jordan Pickford’s post.

The Three Lions quickly resumed their dominance of the ball despite going behind, with the hugely-influential Jude Bellingham seeing his header easily saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma after a number of crosses into the box.

Bellingham was then at the heart of the action as England got back on level terms on the half hour.

The Real Madrid midfielder bounded into the box after latching onto a loose ball and was brought down by Di Lorenzo, with captain Kane stepping up to dispatch the spot kick for his 60th England goal.

There was another shout for another penalty five minutes later after Bellingham superbly played Phil Foden in behind but shouts for handball were swiftly dismissed by referee Clement Turpin.

England continued to search for a second, Rashford with the best chance before the break as he cut inside from the left-hand side but Donnarumma was equal to his drilled shot.

Destiny Udogie then called Pickford into action on the stroke of half-time as the England ‘keeper did well to push away the Italy full-back’s effort after he had dangerously found space inside the box.

The first chance after the interval fell to the Three Lions as Kalvin Phillips curled a strike just over the bar after Rashford robbed Di Lorenzo of the ball just outside the Italy box.

The Manchester United winger was involved again as England took the lead just before the hour through a rapid counter-attack.

Rashford won the ball back on the edge of his box before Bellingham rampaged across the halfway line after being played free by Declan Rice.

Bellingham found himself in oceans of space inside the Italy half but played in Rashford, who cut inside from the left and slammed home past Donnarumma.

Italy looked to quickly get back into the contest and had half a chance to do so just a few minutes after falling behind, but Scamacca’s shot was easily held by Pickford.

Phil Foden then looked to extend England’s lead but his shot could only sting the palms of Donnarumma.

Southgate’s side were then able to largely control the contest in the capital, as both Marc Guehi and Jordan Henderson were introduced to help see out all three points.

And Kane put the game beyond doubt with 13 minutes remaining as he raced in behind the Italian defence before calmly finishing for his second of the night.

England: 1 Jordan Pickford (Everton), 2 Kyle Walker (Manchester City), 3 Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), 4 Declan Rice (Arsenal), 5 John Stones (Manchester City), 6 Harry Maguire (Manchester United), 7 Phil Foden (Manchester City), 8 Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), 9 Harry Kane (c) (Bayern Munich), 10 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), 11 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Substitutes: 12 Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) for Stones 63, 14 Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq) for Phillips 69, 20 Jack Grealish (Manchester City) for Bellingham 85

Substitutes not used: 13 Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), 15 Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), 16 Levi Colwill (Chelsea), 17 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), 18 Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), 19 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), 21 James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), 22 Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), 23 Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United)

Head coach: Gareth Southgate

Bookings: Phillips 

Italy: 1 Gianluigi Donnarumma (c), 2 Giovanni Di Lorenzo, 6 Destiny Udogie, 9 Gianluca Scamacca, 11 Domenico Berardi, 15 Francesco Acerbi, 16 Bryan Cristante, 17 Davide Frattesi, 18 Nicolo Barella, 19 Giorgio Scalvini, 22 Stephan El Shaarawy

Substitutes: 23 Alessandro Bastoni for Acerbi 63, 3 Federico Dimarco for Udogie 63, 7 Moise Kean for Scamacca 64, 10 Giacomo Raspadori for Berardi 78, 20 Riccardo Orsolini for El Shaarawy 87

Substitutes not used: 4 Federico Gatti, 5 Manuel Locatelli, 8 Giacomo Bonaventura, , 12 Guglielmo Vicario, 13 Matteo Darmian, 14 Gianluca Mancini, 21 Alex Meret

Head coach: Luciano Spalletti

Bookings: Udogie, Di Lorenzo, Scalvini