Italy Are Crowned EURO 2020 Champions After Victory Over England

 Italy are newly crowned European Champions following victory over England in a penalty shoot-out on Sunday night.

Italy had to wait until the penalty shoot-out to edge past England in the UEFA Euro 2020 Final played at the Wembley Stadium.

It was the first game that was decided by a shootout in a Euro final since 1976.

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw gave England an early lead in the second minute of the fixture, by scoring his first international goal, and also the fastest goal ever in a Euro final. 

Harry Kane fed Kieran Trippier on the right and his glorious cross was volleyed home first time by Shaw.

A second-half goal from Italy forced extra time as they were level with England 1-1 after 90 minutes. 

It was defender Leonardo Bonucci who got the Italians back on the board in the 67th minute, when England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford pushed Marco Verratti's header against the post and Bonucci pounced to slot in the loose ball.

30 minutes of extra-time was played with no team taking advantage after the half an hour of additional play. 

Penalty kicks had to decide the winner on the night, and it was the Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero for the Azzurri in the shootout.

Though England shot-stopper Pickford saved two penalty kicks from Andrea Belotti and Jorginho, but he was let down by his own teammates who failed to convert their respective spot-kicks.

England manager Gareth Southgate brought on both subtitutes Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to take penalty kicks, and both missed. Rashford hit the left post and Sancho's effort was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. The goalkeeper also saved young talent Bukayo Saka's attempt, which was the penultimate penalty for England.

The defeat for England means that the title have failed to come home again, as they remain without a major trophy since 1966.

The victory is Italy's second ever Euro title and first since 1968.

 

Gareth Southgate took full responsibility for England’s penalty kick failure;

“We prepared as well as we could for that and that’s my responsibility, I chose the guys to take the kicks,” Southgate said.

“No-one is on their own in that situation. We decided to make the changes right at the end of the game and we win and lose together as a team.”

On selecting Saka to take the fifth penalty kick and also making very late substitutions to get more takers on, Southgate added: “That’s my decision to give him that penalty kick.

“So, it is totally my responsibility. It is not him, Marcus or Jadon.

“We worked on it in training and that’s the order we came to. (It’s) my call as coach.

“It is always the risk you run but they have been by far the best and to get all those attacking players on you have to do it late.

“It was a gamble but if we gambled earlier we may have lost the game in extra-time any way.”