And yes, Italy are going home too, with the other game ending 1-1. That late Swedish equaliser was a killer blow for them. But at least they went out playing some lovely stuff. England were a ragged shambles, with only Jesse Lingard and Nathan Redmond coming out of that with any credit. Ruben Loftus-Cheek too, perhaps, simply by omission. Gareth Southgate’s typically English decision to play it safe has backfired spectacularly. He’s the second favourite, behind Gary Neville, to become the next England manager, by the way. I’ll just leave that hanging there. Nighty night!
FULL TIME: England 1-3 Italy
And that’s that! A fairly awful performance by England, who are knocked out at the group stage of this tournament for the third time in a row. Italy were magnificent tonight, but with Portugal and Sweden drawing, it looks like they’re going home too.
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GOAL! England 1-3 Italy (Redmond 90+3)
Well this has been a painful couple of minutes for Italy. Lingard enters the box down the left. He pulls the ball back for Loftus-Cheek, on the left-hand corner of the D. Loftus-Cheek back-flicks it on to Redmond, who from a central position lashes home into the top right. A lovely goal, but far, far too late for England.
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90 min +2: Both of these teams, then, are going out. Poor Di Biagio shakes his head and, via the medium of mime, gestures the scoreline to his supporters.
90 min +1: Sweden have equalised against Portugal! Astonishing! This is cruel on Italy. Or the Italy of tonight, anyway. The damage was done earlier in the tournament.
90 min: More clock to run down: there will be four added minutes of this.
88 min: The two teams are just running down the clock now.
86 min: Verdi has come on for Zappacosta. His first act is to blooter a shot over the bar from the left-hand corner of the D, connecting with a deep Benassi cross from the right, but not with any particular style.
84 min: Portugal are beating Sweden! As things stand, Italy are going through! It’d be some small payback for Euro 2004. On the touchline, Italy coach Luigi Di Biago leaps from the touchline and gestures the scoreline to Italy’s supporters. A chant of “Italia! Italia!” goes up.
82 min: It’s not England’s night, like that’s news. Kane busies himself down the left and reaches the byline. He enters the box and fires a low ball through the six-yard box. Ings, sliding in, nearly connects, but the timing’s not quite right. The ball sails out on the other side.
80 min: Jenkinson burst down the right and stands one up in the middle. Ings goes up for a header, but Bardi claims well. As the competing players fall together, Ings gives the keeper a sly slap on the chops. Saucy. He then has the audacity to look affronted when the free kick’s given against him. Hilarious brazen cheek.
78 min: Kane comes in from the left and lashes an angry effort towards the top right. It’s too passionate to be accurate. England know full well they’re beaten.
76 min: Italy replace Trotta with Verdi. “On the telly, Steve McManaman inadvertently said ‘I thought we were high, to have such wrong expectations’,” reports Jarrell Anthony. “Most accurate comment of BT’s coverage so far.” Ha, that is magnificent. That’ll be the pinnacle of his broadcasting career. It’s the toppermost of the poppermost. There’s nowhere to go from that but down.
75 min: Kane, coming in from the left, loops a diagonal pass into the area for Lingard, who does very well to meet it at high speed, just before it goes out, but can only send the ball into the stand behind.
GOAL! England 0-3 Italy (Benassi 73)
A throw from the right. Trotta, on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, has time to hoick a pass over his head. Benassi, in the centre, guides a header off the left-hand post and in. Another goal that was as simple as that, with England standing around looking about as proactive as their manager.
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70 min: Of course, England are going out, but Italy are too. It’s still goalless between Sweden and Denmark Portugal. “Surely there’s nowt wrong with Italy letting in two quick goals here to try and force a change in the other match?” wonders Adam Hirst. “Then if it happens, they can go all out for a winner against England. That wouldn’t be cheating, it would be trying to get through, to get the best outcome for themselves. Bit like declaration bowling in cricket.”
69 min: Bardi, looking to larrup a backpass upfield, miskicks and concedes a corner. From the first, Chalobah has a shot from the left-hand edge of the D. It’s deflected wide. From the second, Kane eyebrows it over the bar, not particularly accurately it should be said. A little better from England, who need something to happen very soon.
68 min: Cataldi swings a high ball in from the right. Benassi, on the penalty spot, opens his body and tries to guide a volley off his instep and into the top left. It’s all wrong, though.
66 min: Loftus-Ckeek makes an immediate impression - on Cataldi’s leg, with his studs. That’s a yellow card. Maybe Southgate had a point after all.
65 min: Twinkling toes from Lingard, who one-twos with Redmond down the middle of the park, and attempts to curl home into the top right from the edge of the box. He’s so, so close. He’s been England’s brightest player tonight. He looks a talent.
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63 min: England waste the free kick, making a total balls of it. No names, no pack drill. On the touchline, Duncan-Southgate takes his hands out of his pockets, and sends on Loftus-Cheek for Forster-Caskey.
62 min: Benassi sticks out a cynical leg to stop Jenkinson’s gallop down the right. That’s a free kick level with the front of the area. And really should be a booking, too, but somehow the referee doesn’t bother. Strange. Before the set piece, Sabelli comes on for a tiring Berardi.
60 min: The crowd are entertaining themselves with a Mexican wave. Iain Duncan-Southgate stands on the touchline, with his hands in his pockets, doing nowt. The quiet man needs to turn up the volume.
57 min: Ings is hacked down by Zappacosta, who is shown the yellow. A free kick down the left. Redmond swings it into the area. Ings rises high to flick the ball on towards the far post. Gibson is diving in low, John Terry style, like someone chucking a roll of carpet out of the back of a van. He’s an eyebrow away from connecting. That was a fine set-piece routine. And very English. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Play to your strengths. We can’t all be Barcelona.
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56 min: Ings cuts in from the left and has a lash from distance. It’s shanked well wide right. Then another busy run by the Burnley striker earns a corner down the left, but nothing of note happens at the set piece.
54 min: A loose ball in the Italian midfield is pounced on by Kane, who romps towards the box. He’s got Redmond free on his right, but opts to shoot instead. It’s a poor decision, as his shot is blocked, and deflected away for a corner which is easily dealt with, Italians being past masters at defence and all that. Redmond does very well to show restraint, and not launch a few toys from the pram. A salvo of abuse would have been understandable. Poor stuff from Kane.
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52 min: A corner for Italy down the left. Berardi shapes to hoick a high one into the area, but pulls back low to Cataldi on the edge of the area instead. He shoots. It’s blocked. Another corner. That’s cleared. Italy are fully on the front foot again now, though.
50 min: Italy are looking highly comfortable right now. That burst from Lingard hasn’t sparked England into more action. “Sweden and Portugal are having a nice picnic in the other match,” reports Alex Roggero. “They stopped playing as soon as Italy scored knowing that they are both through. So I hope we let you draw. Here’s hoping that if the scores stay at 2-0, with 4 minutes to go Italy concedes two lovely penalties and England can draw. Bye bye Sweden. Good luck England.” Euro 2004 looming large in Alex’s thinking here, I’ll be bound.
47 min: England so nearly enjoy the perfect start to the half! Lingard cuts in from the left, a gorgeous jinking run that has the retreating Rugani looking very concerned and confused. He can’t get close, or get a block in, and Lingard, upon entering the area, looks to curl one into the top right. He’s inches away from doing so. Sheer brilliance from the Manchester United player.
And we’re off again. No changes for England, which seems very strange given they need at least two goals to save themselves. Still no Loftus-Cheek. Iain Duncan-Southgate. Don’t scare the horses.
Half-time advertisement: Another Italian work of art.
Stereotypes aplenty in this one, and yet, the best part of 40 years old, it’s still not as offensive as the current Dolmio campaign.
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HALF TIME: England 0-2 Italy
And that’s that for the half. The Italians saunter off. The English scuttle. England are in all sorts of trouble here. Italy still need Portugal to beat Sweden if they’re to get through, but they’ve done their bit so far. “England need a half-time talk along the lines of Winston Churchill, not Iain Duncan-Smith. England expects. D’you think Southgate will deliver?” Anthony Abdool with the knowing satire, ladies and gentlemen.
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43 min: A chance for Kane to have a romp down the inside-left and take a shot. Blocked. Nothing’s coming off for the Spurs star tonight.
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41 min: Redmond twists and turns brilliantly down the left. He zips past a static Rugani, and hammers a shot across goal towards the bottom right. Bardi’s going the wrong way, but sticks out his left leg and toes the ball away from danger at the last. Brilliant from Redmond, but that’s a save to match.
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40 min: A really poor clearance by Garbutt, a very promising player who has been awful in this particular tournament. He slices it to the Italian left wing, allowing Biraghi space to cross deep. It’s a fine delivery, but Gibson heads clear. Berardi picks up possession down the right and the ball breaks to Biraghi, still hanging around. He has a lash from 30 yards. It flies 30 yards over the bar.
37 min: Forster-Caskey shakes down the inside-left channel, working a little bit of precious space in the Italian final third. Perhaps he should shoot, but it’s fair enough laying off to Kane, too. Kane hesitates a little and is closed down in double-quick time. Italy have got England exactly where they want them.
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35 min: Belotti, ever busy, finds space down the left and enters the box along the byline. He fires a low cross into the six-yard box, hoping to find Trotta, but Butland smothers before the former Fulham, Wycombe, Watford, Brentford and Barnsley striker can make contact. Why don’t young English players go looking for meaningful employment abroad like this? They should probably start doing that.
33 min: Stones comes through the back of Belotti, and is fairly fortunate not to receive a yellow card. A bravura performance of brazen eye-popping incredulity at being penalised for a foul at all probably saved him there. It’s a good skill to have.
32 min: Italy are sitting back now with a cigar on. They’re happy for England to have the ball in the midfield, and close things down when they make their way into the final third.
29 min: Berardi bundles Garbutt over down the left. Free kick, and a chance for England to pile men into the box and get back in this game quickly. They need to. Redmond’s delivery is appalling, allowing Bardi to pluck from the sky with a yawn.
GOAL! England 0-2 Italy (Benassi 27)
England’s heads are all over the shop, as Crisetig is allowed to embark on a power wander down the middle of the pitch. Upon reaching the edge of the area, he slips the ball to the left for Benassi, who guides a shot into the bottom right corner. It was that simple. England nowhere. A slight deflection on Benassi’s shot, but it was going in anyway.
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GOAL! England 0-1 Italy (Belotti 25)
This came out of nowhere! A quick free kick, and Berardi sashays inside from the right to curl a glorious ball into the England box. It’s met as it drops on the penalty spot by Belotti, who sticks a telescopic leg out and guides the ball into the left-hand portion of the net! Glorious finish!
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23 min: Now this is better from England, as Jenkinson rakes a glorious high crossfield pass to Kane on the left. Kane brings the ball down smoothly, then sweetly glides inside, past a flailing Zappacosta. Entering the area, he curls powerfully towards the top right. Bardi paws away at full stretch, a magnificent save. Redmond tries to launch another attack down the right but finds the side netting. Superb stuff all round.
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22 min: Italy are passing it around rather a lot. England are struggling to get into this right now.
19 min: Cataldi has an ambitious skelp from 25 yards which flies well wide. Then Italy come straight back at England, the impressive Zappacosta making ground down the right and firing a low diagonal ball into the area. Belotti is a toenail away from sliding in to poke the ball into the bottom-right corner.
18 min: Another corner for Italy, the lively Zappacosta again involved down the right. Berardi takes again, Benassi flicks on at the near post again. Gibson heads clear, but England can’t keep falling for this simple gambit at the corner. Someone’s going to connect with one of these flick-ons soon enough.
15 min: That Ings chance seems to have given Italy pause, though. They were pressing hard, causing England all sorts of problems in their own half, but they’ve dropped back right now. England aren’t really going anywhere with all the possession, though.
13 min: Kane drops deep, and to great effect! In the centre circle, he slides a first-time pass down the inside-left channel to release Ings on goal. Ings really should score, but with Bardi coming out to the edge of his area to close the angle, he lashes his shot into the side netting on the left. That’s a dismal finish, well wide of the target. England should be leading. But what a pass by Kane who, fed up with living off scraps in this tournament, came back to get himself a piece of the action, England suddenly looking like a different team.
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10 min: The highly fancied Berardi sashays in from the right and has a proper belt at goal. He’s looking for the top-left corner from 25 yards, but it’s high and wide. Not that high and wide, mind. No white shirts closing down there. After a lively start, England are beginning to show a slightly soft underbelly.
8 min: Not sure where Luke Garbutt has gone, but Zappacosta romps into acres down the right. He reaches the byline and pulls the ball back for Belotti, who hesitates on the penalty spot when he really should take a first-time shot. The busy Ings gets a block in, then earns a free kick for falling on his face.
6 min: Now Italy earn themselves a corner, Berardi persistent down the right. He takes the corner himself, and Benassi, at the near post, flicks on with his shoulder. Fortunately for England, no other Italian is powering in and the ball flies away from danger.
5 min: England are all over Italy here. Redmond finds more space down the right, and the result’s the same; Rugani, flustered, puts the ball out of play on the other side. Another corner, which Italy only half clear. Gibson goes up high with Romagnoli, and gets a light shove in the back. He claims a penalty, but that would have been very soft.
3 min: Ings flicks the ball wide right for Redmond, who makes good down the right and whips a tasty ball into the middle. Rugani, slightly panicked, hacks the ball out of play on the left. From the resulting corner, Lingard has a shot from the left-hand edge of the D, but he’s charged down.
2 min: Not much of an atmosphere in the Andruv Stadium, there’s no point trying to sugar-coat it. But a confident enough start for England, who spend the opening minute stroking it around, getting a feel of the ball. Ings tries to get something going down the left with Lingard and Forster Caskey, but the move breaks down.
And after two appalling renditions of the national anthems - do they really need to mic up the players? - we’re off! Italy get the ball rolling.
The teams are out! England are wearing plain white tracksuit tops with a blue stripe over the shoulder. The Azzurrini have white tracksuit tops too, only theirs have ITALIA plastered across the front in exactly the same font FIAT use. Perhaps England’s next tournament kits could riff on the old British Leyland L. Over to you, Nike. Anyway, the tracksuits soon come off. England are in their famous white, Italy their storied azure. We’ll be off in a sec.
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Southgate explains his decision to leave out Loftus-Cheek, England’s one shining light in the tournament so far. Talking to Post Office Telecommunications Sport HD, he says: “We’re finding out more and more about him. He’s somebody who we can trust. Tactically he’s still learning, he’s still quite a free spirit. So he’s a great player to come off the bench for us to have an impact on the game.” There’s not a totally consistent philosophical thread running through that quote, is there. But he means well.
Gareth Southgate has decided to keep Ruben Loftus-Cheek, so impressive against Sweden, on the bench, but he has made other changes. In come John Stones, Jake Forster-Caskey, Jesse Lingard and Danny Ings, with Liam Moore, Tom Carroll, Will Hughes and the injured Alex Pritchard dropping out. A fair few attack-minded types in that line-up, so perhaps he felt another creative bod in the midfield would be asking for trouble. Good luck one and all in plotting a route through the highly regarded centre-back pairing of Daniele Rugani and Alessio Romagnoli.
Tonight's teams
England: Butland, Jenkinson, Stones, Gibson, Garbutt, Chalobah, Forster-Caskey, Redmond, Ings, Lingard, Kane.
Subs: Bond, Ward-Prowse, Carroll, Keane, Afobe, Hughes, Moore, Chambers, Targett, Loftus-Cheek, Bettinelli.
Italy: Bardi, Zappacosta, Rugani, Romagnoli, Biraghi, Benassi, Crisetig, Cataldi, Berardi, Belotti, Trotta.
Subs: Sportiello, Sabelli, VIviani, Bernardeschi, Barba, Bianchetti, Baselli, Izzo, Battocchio, Verdi, Leali.
Referee: Sergei Karasev (Russia).
Ah, England versus Italy! Ted Drake breaking Luis Monti’s ankle. Giacinto Facchetti swinging haymakers at Dave Clement. Kevin Keegan loosening the teeth of moustachioed nutcase Romeo Benetti. Marco Tardelli tenderising Keegan’s boat with his elbow. Benetti cleaning Keegan out. Paul Ince wandering around with a burst head. Andrea Pirlo making a jigging Joe Hart look like a clown. If the kids can put on something even half as good, we’ll be in for a treat tonight!
History is on Italy’s side. They’ve met England four times in the group stage of this tournament since 2000, winning three and drawing the other. Meanwhile the big boys haven’t lost to the English since the qualifiers for the 1978 World Cup, and even then they went through at England’s expense.
But current form favours England. Jesse Lingard’s late volleyed winner against Sweden gave the side their first win at an under-21 finals since 2009, while the return of John Stones should help smooth out a ragged defence. Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s 17-minute cameo against Sweden suggests he could be the man to add some much-needed sparkle to England’s play, and bring a stranded Harry Kane closer to the action. It’s an exciting prospect. By comparison Italy, who lost to ten-man Sweden, are pinning most of their hopes on Sassuolo/Juventus forward Domenico Berardi, who isn’t fully fit.
So both sides have something to cling on to. And it could well be a cracker, because it’s crunch time for the pair of them. If England win tonight, they’re through to the semi-finals of the 2015 Uefa Under-21 European Championships. A draw will see them through, unless Sweden beat Portugal in the other Group B game. A loss and they’re out. As for Italy, only a win will do, and even then they’ll need Portugal to beat Sweden. It’s guaranteed to be a dramatic night. It’s do or die. It’s on!
Kick off: 7.45pm BST, 8.45pm in the Ander Stadium, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
