London, October 18, 2023: In a thrilling match at Wembley Stadium, England has secured its place in the UEFA Euro 2024 by defeating Italy 3-1. This victory comes two years after their heart-wrenching loss to the Italians in the final of the tournament at the same venue. England now joins the host nation Germany, along with Austria, Belgium, France, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and Turkey as one of the nine teams already qualified for the 24-team European Championship set to take place next year.
The match against Italy had its share of drama, with Gianluca Scamacca giving the Italians an early lead with his first-ever international goal. However, England rallied and turned the game around with a brilliant performance from their captain, Harry Kane, who scored two goals, and Marcus Rashford adding one more to the tally.
The defeat deepens the woes of the Italian team, who are already grappling with a scandal surrounding some of their players’ alleged involvement in an illegal betting ring. Premier League midfielders Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo left the Italian camp last week after being questioned by the police, casting a shadow over the national squad’s preparations.
Italy’s upcoming game against Ukraine on November 20 will determine which team claims the second qualifying spot in Group C alongside England. Italy is eager to avoid missing a second consecutive tournament after failing to qualify for the World Cup last year. Notably, the decider is officially a home game for Ukraine, but it will be held in Germany due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine faced a resilient Malta team in their latest fixture and managed to secure a 3-1 victory. Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk played a pivotal role by scoring a powerful long-range shot for his first international goal, sealing the win.
Denmark, another strong contender, had an opportunity to secure their qualification on the same day but was reliant on other results. A 2-1 victory for Kazakhstan against Finland earlier meant that Denmark would have to wait until next month’s games. In addition, Group leader Slovenia claimed a 1-0 victory against Northern Ireland.
Kazakhstan’s historic victory against Finland could pave the way for the nation to qualify for its first-ever European Championship. The stunning upset was marked by two late goals from Baktiyor Zainutdinov, including an 89th-minute winner. Kazakhstan will now need to win their last two games against San Marino and Slovenia next month to have any chance of making it to Euro 2024.
Hungary, in their quest for qualification, needed a win over Lithuania but instead settled for a 2-2 draw after trailing 2-0 at halftime. Meanwhile, Serbia, sitting second in Group G, moved closer to securing their qualification by defeating Montenegro 3-1.
As the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers unfold, the competition is reaching a fever pitch, and football enthusiasts around the world are eagerly awaiting the tournament, set to feature some of the finest teams in Europe.