Gianluigi Donnarumma was the penalty shootout hero for Italy to defeat England 3-2 on penalties after coming from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw.
Luke Shaw fired England in front after just 117 seconds from Kieran Trippier’s counter-attack cross as the 25 year-old became the fastest-ever goalscorer in an Euro Final, breaking a 57 year record held by Spain’s Chus Pereda at 1964 Final.
Italy however soon grew into the dominant team and were rewarded with an 67th minute equaliser as Leonardo Bonucci smashed in from close range, in turn forcing extra time after both teams failed to find a winner amiss a 87th minute pitch invader.
Both teams couldn’t be separated after extra time but Italy won 3-2 on penalties despite misses from Andrea Belotti and Jorginho, as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka’s spot-kicks were all saved by Donnarumma.
Italy are now European champions for a second time after last winning the competition in 1968 and completes a remarkable transformation, having failed to qualify for 2018 FIFA World Cup for the first time which was their first failure to qualify for a tournament since 1992 Euros.
Italy made a bright start with their high-pressing game which forced Harry Maguire to roll his backpass beyond Jordan Pickford, conceding a corner from which England broke with Harry Kane finding Trippier to cross over for Shaw to fire in on the half-volley to put the Three Lions ahead after just 117 seconds.
Shaw however conceded a free-kick five minutes later after a foul on Federico Chiesa, with Lorenzo Insigne bending the resulting free-kick over the bar, in turn becoming the fastest-ever goalscorer in an Euro Final.
England soon after saw two corners saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma with Italy soon afterwards hitting their strides, as Insigne and Chiesa both dragged shots wide in the 28th and 35th minutes respectively.
Shaw then produced the last notable chance of the first half for England as his low 36th minute cross unluckily rolled under Mason Mount’s legs, whilst Leonardo Bonucci rifled a long-range strike wide of the top left corner for Italy in first-half injury time.
Three minutes after the restart, Shaw unleashed Raheem Sterling into the box but no penalty was given after Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini brought the Manchester City winger to ground.
Sterling then fouled Insigne from behind two minutes later to concede a free-kick from outside of the box, of which the Italian bent wide.
Insigne then saw a curled strike fly wide in the 53rd minute before Bonucci again fouled Sterling during a throw-in two minutes later, with Harry Maguire just heading the resulting free-kick over the bar.
Pickford then denied Insigne and Chiesa before Giovanni Di Lorenzo conceded a corner from which John Stones headed over via Donnarumma’s flick, which proved the difference as Italy broke forward with Maguire clearing Chiesa’s cross behind for an Italian corner.
From a powerful curled delivery, substitute – Bryan Cristante flicked the ball behind him which caused issues in England’s defence as Pickford made an initial save from a left-post rebound, only clearing to Bonucci who smashed in a 67th minute equaliser from close range to silence England fans at Wembley Stadium.
Both teams thereafter created scrappy chances in search of a late winner only for an unexpected interruption in the 87th minute to briefly halt the action, as a pitch invader scarpered onto the pitch but was swiftly cleared by security as the game ultimately headed for extra time.
Despite Italy initially starting the first half of extra time on the front foot, it was England who soon grew on top as Chiellini blocked Sterling, with the consequential corner cleared to Kalvin Phillips who rifled just wide of the bottom left corner.
Pickford meanwhile made a vital block of a cross only as far clear to an incoming Belotti, who blasted his shot wide as both teams still couldn’t be separated heading into the second half of extra time.
Upon the restart, Belotti won a free-kick just outside the box after drawing a foul from Maguire with substitute – Federico Bernardeschi firing over the wall straight into Pickford’s arms.
England immediately attacked up the other end via throw-in with the ball finding Kane to cross in for John Stones to nod on goal, only for Donnarumma to recover to punch away just in time to keep Italy’s dreams alive.
Eventually there proved to be no breakthrough despite a late Italian corner as Cristante glanced his header wide, resulting in a first penalty shootout in the Euro Final since 1976.
Domenico Berardi and Kane scored the opening spot-kicks before Pickford saved Belotti’s spot-kick, which Maguire further punished to put England in front before Bonucci scored Italy’s third spot-kick.
The penalty shootout however was locked at 2-2 after the third round of spot-kicks as Rashford stuttered and struck his spot-kick onto the left post which rebounded away from goal.
Bernardeschi then put Italy in front with what proved to be a winning penalty as Sancho and Saka both saw their spot-kicks for England saved by Donnarumma, either side of Jorginho’s missed penalty as Italy were crowned European champions for a second time.
Stat Attack
- Italy are European champions for the first time in 53 years after last winning this competition in 1968, defeating Yugoslavia 2-0 in a replay after the original final finished 1-1 after extra time.
- England have now won just two of their last nine penalty shootouts in all competitions (W2, L9).
- Luke Shaw produced the fastest goal in an Euro Final after just 117 seconds, breaking a 57 year record held by Spain’s Chus Pereda who scored in the sixth minute against Soviet Union in 1964 Final – with Spain eventually winning 2-1 in that match.
- This is the first Euro Final to go to penalties since 1976 – when Czechoslovakia defeated West Germany 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Belgrade.
- Having produced 19 shots throughout this final, Italy only managed six of their shots on target to result in a 31.58% shot conversion rate.
Teams
Italy: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Giovanni DI Lorenzo, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Emerson (Florenzi 118′), Nicolo Barella (Cristante 54′), Jorginho, Marco Verratti (Locatelli 96′), Federico Chiesa (Bernardeschi 85′), Ciro Immobile (Berardi 55′), Lorenzo Insigne (Belotti 90′)
Substitutes: Salvatore Sirigu (GK), Manuel Locatelli, Andrea Belotti, Domenico Berardi, Matteo Pessina, Francesco Acerbi, Bryan Cristante, Federico Bernardeschi, Alessandro Florenzi, Alessandro Bastoni, Rafael Toloi, Alex Meret (GK)
England: Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker (Sancho 120′), John Stones, Harry Maguire, Kieran Trippier (Saka 70′), Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice (Henderson 74′, Rashford 120′), Luke Shaw, Mason Mount (Grealish 99′), Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane
Substitutes: Jack Grealish, Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford, Aaron Ramsdale (GK), Tyrone Mings, Conor Coady, Jadon Sancho, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Sam Johnstone (GK), Reece James, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham
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