Eleven months on from England vs. Italy in the EURO 2020 final, tonight’s rematch was an entirely different story. With an almost entirely different cast – with Gatti and Esposito making their debuts – Italy put in a decent performance. The 0-0 draw with England in Wolverhampton saw the Azzurri maintain top spot in their Nations League group, with Hungary and Germany playing out a 1-1 draw in the other game tonight. The Azzurri played with a great spirit of self-sacrifice and played positive football. The only sour note was the few too many errors in front of goal.

THE GAME.  “It’s not about revenge,” Roberto Mancini said in his pre-match press conference. The prize at stake was entirely different with an almost entirely different set of players. Only six players, who featured at Wembley eleven months ago, started tonight: Donnaruma and Di Lorenzo for Italy, and Trippier, Rice, Mount and Sterling for England.

It was Italy’s fourth game in ten days and Mancini was forced into making changes to personnel. Only Donnarumma and Pellegrini kept their places from Tuesday’s game against Hungary in the 4-3-3 system, with Scamacca up top. Gatti (the 46th debutant under Mancini’s tenure) played alongside Acerbi in central defence, with Di Lorenzo and Dimarco on the flanks, with the latter being hand a first start after cameo appearances against Germany and Hungary. Locatelli, Tonali and Frattesi formed the midfield trio, with Pellegrini and Pessina supporting Scamacca up front. Meanwhile, for England, Tammy Abraham started in place of Harry Kane in an attacking trio with Sterling and Grealish. Ward-Prowse and Rice were tasked with screening a defence that included AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori, while Mason Mount played in behind the attacking three.

Italy came close to an early lead through Frattesi, who latched on to a brilliant through ball from Pellegrini but dragged his shot just wide. England looked to hit back and, in the fifth minute, Abraham intercepted a pass from Donnarumma, only for Locatelli to make a brilliant last-ditch intervention. Three minutes later, Mount’s effort struck the crossbar before Rice fired over the bar. The Azzurri struggled to beat the Three Lions’ high press but when they did, they looked good. Following a lovely piece of interplay with Locatelli, the ball arrived to Pessina who crossed on the volley for Tonali to shoot from close range. Ramsdale, however, was wide awake in the England goal and made the save. Italy were playing well and Scamacca was doing the hard yards, almost handing Italy the lead. Pessina twice had a pop late in the first half, which ended with Locatelli forcing Ramsdale into another save.

Sterling had a guilt-edge chance just after the break but he fired over the crossbar from short range. A similar chance fell the way of Di Lorenzo, who failed to convert from Pellegrini’s cross. That was the last real moment of goalmouth action of the game as both coaches shuffled the pack. Salvatore Esposito came on for Locatelli to make his debut, while Gnonto replaced Pellegrini. Meanwhile for the hosts: Abraham, Mount and Rice off, Kane, Bowen and Phillips on. Rapsadori then came on for Scamacca, while Florenzi and Cristante made their entrance to bring some experience to the team. Saka then replaced Sterling. Tonali picked up a yellow card in added time for halting an England counterattack; he will therefore miss the game against Germany in Mönchengladbach on Tuesday. We’re still unbeaten in the Nations League and are top of the group; a second consecutive Final Four appearance is in sight.