England’s sorry Nations League run continued as Giacomo Raspadori’s 68th-minute strike gave Italy a deserved 1-0 win on Friday that relegated the shot-shy visitors to the second tier League B.
There was precious little to provide optimism for England’s fans with Qatar only two months away but at least they will be going, unlike Italy, still trying to come to terms with their failure to qualify for the second World Cup in a row either side of winning the European Championship.
In a game of few chances at the San Siro, the hosts looked the more adventurous side and were rewarded when Raspadori neatly brought down a long ball by Leonardo Bonucci on the edge of the box and, given far too much time, cut in before firing past Nick Pope.
England barely managed an effort on goal and looked unrecognisable from the team who went 22 games unbeaten until June – not counting the Euro 2020 final shootout defeat by Italy.
They have scored only one goal, a penalty, in their five Nations League games going into their final match at home to Germany on Monday. (Reuters)
And that is indeed it! Italy carve out a 1-0 win to keep their finals hopes alive but England are consigned to the second tier of the Nations League. Questions will surely be asked of Southgate going into the World Cup... that's five games now with just one goal scored, a Kane penalty.
Pobega heads for the corner flag and that will be it...
Bellingham! England's best chance of the game comes in the final minute as the Dortmund winger meets a wonderful cross but his header lands on the roof of the net.
James concedes a free kick as frustration boils over and Italy are in no hurry to take...
Grealish goes into the book for a bit of lip and he'll now be suspended for the game against Germany on Monday.
England are piling forward but leaving plenty of gaps at the back and Italy will look to exploit that to put the game to bed.
And a few seconds more as a pitch invader is swiftly dealt with by stadium security.
Time running out for England as relegation beckons... six minutes added!
Jorginho and Dimarco, who has been the best player on the pitch this evening, head off for Emerson and Davide Frattesi.
Chance! A nice move from Italy and the ball falls to Cristante, who eats his shirt as he hammers a shot over from a decent position under little pressure from the England defence.
Gabbiadini! The veteran forward has only just come on for his first cap in five years and draws a fine save from Pope.
Bellingham! The winger fashions a chance for himself with some neat footwork but sends his shot well wide off his weaker side.
Donnarumma again is equal to the task though and punches James' delivery away.
Di Lorenzo into the naughty book for taking out Grealish's trailing leg. Decent chance for England from the side of the area.
Donnarumma! What a double save from the keeper, first to deny Rice and then Kane on the second attempt. England have been given fresh impetus by the introduction of Grealish, who engineered that move.
Southgate responds by sending on Shaw and Grealish for Saka and Walker.
The Napoli striker, on loan from Sassuolo, plucks a long ball from the air, sells Walker a dummy and picks his spot, sending a shot into the far corner with a wonderful strike that Nick Pope can't get near! A wonderful goal from the 22-year-old, his fourth for his country on his 14th cap.
Goooooooooooooooool! Raspadori! What a strike!
Scamacca and Barella off, Tommaso Pobega and Wilfried Gnonto on.
Nothing given by the eye in the sky.
Bellingham goes down under a challenge from Barella, who sends him over the top and the Dortmund winger hits the floor in a heap. That will probably be a free kick for England right on the edge of the area.
England carve out a chance through Foden and Bellingham, who work the ball to Kane. The skipper sends in a decent cross but Tolói shows nerves of stell to guide it out for a corner.
A chance! Raspadori tees up Barella for a tap in but the midfielder can't quite reach it and stabs the ball wide. That is the closest either side have come.
Kane returns to the fray as Southgate continues to persist with Plan A.
And indeed, VAR sees nothing untoward. Kane is off temporarily and England have several player out to warm up.
Kane is down after a clash of heads with Tolói and VAR is having a look but it was 50-50 and unintentional from the Atalanta defender.
Kane goes on a canter again but Bonucci dives in with glee to deny the England skipper. Foden and Sterling were arriving at the far post but Kane decided to go it alone again.
Reece James tries to dip the ball in but it's well high and Donnarumma had it covered.
Bonucci is first to find his way into the book for a trip on Sterling and England have a free on the edge of the area...
Dimarco, who has been excellent this evening, sends in a fine cross but Eric Dier, back in the England side after a hiatus, makes a decent clearance.
We're back underway in San Siro! Let's hope we see a little more goalmouth action in the second 45.
The England captain has been very isolated, but in fairness he's also been pretty handy at the back.
There's been a goal in the other game in the group this evening, Hungary leading Germany 1-0 at half time in Leipzig.
And there's the whistle, the ref not adding a second of stoppage time to bring an uneventful half to a close.
A wondeful delivery from Foden is aimed at Rice but Tolói and Bonucci make a sandwich of the England man and the danger is snuffed out.
Harry Kane decides he's had enough and goes on a solo run but hammers his shot high from the edge of the area with Foden on the overlap.
It's been a pretty scrappy affair so far and an Italy attack breaks down as Acerbi floors Foden. Very little in the way of coherent play from either side as we approach the half, and even less in the way of attempts on goal.
Corner for England as Bellingham and Kane combine. Foden tries to wriggle through and James attempts to turn a cross in and it's out for another corner. James fails to beat the first man though and Donnarumma gathers the loose ball.
Foden delivers a whipped free kick and a glancing header falls into the path of James, whose shot hit a defender but the ref gives a goal kick having decided it was Sterling who got the final touch.
Italy win another corner, their third of the game, but Dimarco sends it straight into the gloves of Nick Pope.
Italy overcook another set piece from a simliar position with similar results, but Dimarco engineers another attack and Kane is back there to hook clear.
Cristante leads an Italy charge and the ball falls to Raspadori in a promising position but the Napoli forward's touch deserts him and England are let off. Saka was very slow to get back there from the left wing back position and Italy will no doubt have spotted it.
A reminder that England will be relegated if Italy are victorious this evening. Shots on goal from the visitors? Zero.
England enjoy a period of possession but Italy are so good at squeezing the spaces that Kane is having to drop back into midfield and the visitors are relying on the runs of Sterling and Saka to dent the Azzurri back four.
Barella is not happy with Declan Rice as he piles into a challenge but the ref decides to keep his cards close to his chest. It wouldn't have been a surprise to see a yellow produced there.
There's plenty of pushing and shoving as the ball is sent in and Bonucci makes the international sign of "what, me?" It's actually Scamacca who is picked up though, for a shove on Walker.
Italy try a rather elaborate routine but seem to confuse each other. They do win a corner though.
Italy have a free kick now in a decent position as Saka clips Raspadori.
Sterling spins off his man and drives forward but Kane's return ball takes a deflection and Bonucci, a one-man brick wall, is there to clear.
Free kick to England a fair way out. Phil Foden looking to make something of it but his delivery is straight into a sea of blue shirts.
Southgate deploying a three-man defence, something that Harry Maguire tends to feel a bit more comfortable in.
A few early signs of intent from Italy, for who Scamacca looks particularly lively.
We're underway in San Siro!
Harry Kane is second on the all-time list of scorers for England, one ahead of Bobby Charlton's 49 and three behind Wayne Rooney's 53.
Fans are starting to file in to San Siro now as the warm-ups get underway.
In tonight's other Group A3 game, Hungary can seal their place in the finals with victory over Germany. The Mighty Magyars have won two, drawn one and lost one so far, scoring seven and conceding just three.
June 2022: England 0-0 Italy (Nations League)
July 2021: England 1-1 Italy (Italy win 3-2 on pens. Euro 2020 final)
March 2018: England 1-1 Italy (Friendly game)
March 2015: Italy 1-1 England (Friendly game)
June 2014: England 1-2 Italy (2014 World Cup)
Mancini opts for Raspadori up top with Scamacca, two young forwards looking to make their mark, while Bonucci represents the old guard. Atalanta central defender Rafael Tolói gets a ninth cap and Federico Dimarco gets a fifth at left back.
No major surprises from Southgate, who goes with Eric Dier and Harry Maguire in defence, we assume, which will hardly put Italy's forwards off. Phil Foden starts as does Jude Bellingham but there's no sign of Ivan Toney, who must have pulled out late on.
Italy vs England: Who to watch? Stars and best players on each team
Mancini has been attempting to bring through younger players to replace a raft of recently retired veterans while Southgate appears to be stuck on his reliance on a fixed group of players with little structural flexibility in his team selections.
Who is refereeing Italy vs England?
Friday’s game will see an all Spanish team in charge with match referee Jesús Gil Manzano with Diego Barbero, Ángel Nevado his line assistants.
Fourth official is Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos with the Video Assistant Referee Juan Martínez Munuera.
Mancini sees "positives" despite Germany drubbing
The European champions are also in a bit of rut, managing draws against Germany and England either side of beating Hungary in their first three Group A3 matches, before going down 5-2 in the reverse fixture with Germany last time out.
Italy are currently third, a point adrift of Germany and two behind leaders Hungary. “Anything can happen in this group,” Mancini said. “It wasn’t pleasant losing 5-2 in the last game, but even then I saw some positive signs”.
England looking to avoid the drop
After the heady days of Euro 2020, which was played in 2021 due to the pandemic, the usual gloom has descended over England, who will be relegated to the second tier of the Nations League if they are beaten by Italy this evening.
Recent results in the competition do not exactly inspire confidence: A 1-0 defeat in Hungary was followed by a draw in Germany thanks to a late Harry Kane penalty, before a dull 0-0 at Molineux against Italy and an abysmal performance in their 4-0 defeat to Hungary at the same venue. In four games, that Kane goal from the spot is the only one England have managed.
Hello and welcome to AS USA's live coverage of the UEFA Nations League Group A3 game between European champions Italy and England. The stage for this evening's match is San Siro and kick off is at 2:45 p.m. EDT/ 11:45 a.m PDT for viewers in the United States, or 7:45 p.m (BST) in the UK and 8:45 p.m. CEST.
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