Italy v England: Euro 2024 qualifying – live

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England make two changes to the side named for the World Cup quarter-final with France in Al Khawr last December. Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish come in for Jordan Henderson and Phil Foden, who drop to the bench.

The teams

Italy: Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Toloi, Acerbi, Spinazzola, Barella, Jorginho, Verratti, Berardi, Retegui, Pellegrini.
Subs: Falcone, Meret, Darmian, Gnonto, Scamacca, Pessina, Emerson, Scalvini, Cristante, Politano, Tonali, Romagnoli.

England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Rice, Phillips, Bellingham, Saka, Grealish, Kane.
Subs: Trippier, Ramsdale, Henderson, Dier, Chilwell, James, Guehi, Gallagher, Foden, Maddison, Forster, Toney.

Referee: Srdjan Jovanović (Serbia).

Preamble

The qualifiers of Euro 2024 pick up where the final of Euro 2020 left off. Yep, the cycle loops all the way around to Italy versus England again, the closest Uefa’s international fixture list has ever come to replicating the narrative structure of Finnegans Wake. The European champions welcome the team they beat in that aforementioned Wembley showpiece to Naples for the first match of what promises to be a hotly contested Group C qualification campaign.

All the signs point to an emotional one. England are looking to avenge their defeat in the Euro 2020 final. Harry Kane is looking for his 54th international goal, one that would make him England’s all-time leading scorer ahead of Wayne Rooney. And the hosts will be remembering the beloved Italian icon Gianluca Vialli, who passed away in January. Throw in the usual levels of Neapolitan passion – currently cranked up to 11 given Napoli are champions-elect – and this should be an evening to remember. One way or another. Kick off is at 7.45pm GMT, 8.45pm in Naples. It’s on!