Kane and Rashford seal England’s place at Euro 24 with comeback win over Italy

ON THE MARK: Marcus Rashford (right) scores England’s second goal in their Euro 2024 qualifier victory over Italy at Wembley. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.

The jeopardy had long since ended in terms of whether England would qualify for the European Championship in Germany next summer. It was only a question of when and where. The answer was here and there was symbolism in who they beat to do it – the champions, Italy, who they intend to dethrone.

Gareth Southgate had wanted a performance as much as a result; England only needed a draw – something to bolster the collective belief. The manager got it. There was a confidence about England from the outset and an inevitability about the outcome, even after the early concession to Gianluca Scamacca and a few loose first-half moments in defence.