Italy's record in the Euro qualifiers is been tremendous, going unbeaten in the last 40 matches since losing 3-1 to France in 2006.
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Italy is set to take their first step towards defending their continental crown when they host England in a Euro 2024 qualifying Group C opener at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Thursday night. The Azzurri had defeated the Three Lions on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium. But then Roberto Mancini’s side went on have a disastrous World Cup qualification campaign, losing out to North Macedonia in the playoff semi-final and had to watch the global event from home for the second consecutive time running. England, meanwhile, reached the quarter-finals of the tournament in Qatar before losing 2-1 to eventual finalists France.
“It will be a difficult game but we will be up for it” 👊 💙
🎙️ Roberto Mancini and Marco Verratti speak to the press ahead of #ITAENG 🇮🇹 🏴#EURO2024 #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/yaEMt8PP4D
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) March 22, 2023
After the World Cup qualification disappointment, Mancini’s side suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Argentina in the CONMEBOL-UEFA Champions Final. Just when it looked like the European champions were falling apart, Mancini managed to steady the ship by securing top spot in the UEFA Nations League League A Group 3 and book a semi-final meeting with Spain in June. The two-time European champions ended the year 2022 with a 3-1 win over Albania before losing 2-0 to Austria in friendlies in November. Meanwhile Italy’s record in the Euro qualifiers has been tremendous, going unbeaten in the last 40 since losing 3-1 to France in 2006.
England, on the other hand, went into the World Cup in Qatar as one of the favourites, but the golden generation saw another opportunity at silverware pass them by. Gareth Southgate’s side finished on top of Group B before defeating Senegal 3-0 in the last-16 stage. But the Three Lions couldn’t get past the 2018 World Champions in the quarter-final stage, after Harry Kane failed to convert his second penalty of the night. Prior to the World Cup disappointment, Southgate’s side suffered a torrid relegation from the League A of the Nations League after finishing at the bottom of Group 3.
Italy Probable starting Lineup: Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Acerbi, Ronagnoli, Spinazzola, Barella, Verratti, Jorginho, Berardi, Retegui, Grifo
England Probable Starting Lineup: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Henderson, Rice, Bellingham, Saka, Kane, Grealish
Italy
| Opponents | Score |
| Austria | 2-0 (L) |
| Albania | 1-3 (W) |
| Hungary | 0-2 (W) |
| England | 1-0 (W) |
| Germany | 5-2 (L) |
England
| Opponents | Score |
| France | 1-2 (L) |
| Senegal | 3-0 (W) |
| Wales | 0-3 (W) |
| USA | 0-0 (D) |
| Iran | 6-2 (W) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| Italy beat England | 1-0 |
| England draw Italy | 0-0 |
| Italy beat England | 1(3)-(2)1 |
| England draw Italy | 1-1 |
| Italy draw England | 1-1 |
The Euro 2024 qualification fixture between Italy and England will take place at Stade Diego Armando Maradona on Friday at 1:15 am IST.
| Italy vs England | Key Details |
| Date | March 23 (Italy) |
| Venue | Stade Diego Armando Maradona |
| Kickoff time in Italy | 8:45 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in UK | 7:45 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 1:15 am (Friday) |
The live telecast of the Euro 2024 qualification matches will be available on Sony Sports network. Besides fans in India can live stream through Jio TV and Sony LIV. Football fans in Italy can catch the live action via RAI network, while those in England can tune to Talk Sport Radio UK, BBC Radio 5 Live and Channel 4.
