Euro 2020 final: England chokes in heartbreaking penalty shootout

England’s wait for an international trophy drags on even longer after butchering a penalty shootout against Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

It’s not coming home after all.

Italy has won a thrilling Euro 2020 final after England choked in a penalty shootout.

England missed three penalties in a row as Marcus Rashford hit the post then Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka’s shots were saved by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who became a national hero as the Azzurri won the shootout 3-2.

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England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made two fantastic saves but it wasn’t enough to get his team home.

Meanwhile, Italy extended its unbeaten streak to 34 matches and re-wrote history in the process. After winning its semi-final against Spain on penalties, Roberto Mancini’s men became the first team to ever be crowned European champions after two successful shootouts in the same tournament.

Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci trolled England by looking down the barrel of a camera and saying: “It’s coming to Rome” — a joke about the phrase “it’s coming home” used by British football fans to talk up their chances of winning a first international trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

The hosts made the perfect start at London’s Wembley Stadium, going 1-0 up inside two minutes before the visitors hit back midway through the second half with a goal of their own to send the match down to the wire.

At fulltime the score was locked at 1-1. No goals were scored in the 30 minutes of extra time, sending the match into a shootout which broke English hearts.

So close yet so far.

Penalty shootout

Italy

1) Goal — Pickford guesses wrong and Italy starts on the right note courtesy of Domenico Berardi

2) Save — Pickford goes to his left and saves a terrible penalty struck at the worst possible height by Boletti

3) Goal — A stuttering run-up from Bonucci but the ball sails home

4) Goal — The first penalty down the middle from Bernardeschi avoids Pickford’s trailing legs

5) Save — Pickford keeps England in it with a fantastic save to deny Jorginho

England

1) Goal — Harry Kane buries the perfect penalty into the bottom corner, beating the keeper’s outstretched fingertips

2) Goal — Harry Maguire blasts the ball into the top corner

3) Miss — Marcus Rashford stutters, stops before striking the ball then hits the post

4) Save — Jadon Sancho goes low to his right but so does the keeper, who punches the ball away

5) Save — Bukayo Saka’s effort is blocked, and Italy are champions

It’s party time in Italy.

The wait continues for England.

Italy too good after red-hot England start

Some slick passing at the start of the game shifted the ball to the right from the halfway line after England captain Harry Kane took possession and Kieran Trippier — who returned to the starting line-up after being named on the bench for the semi-final win against Denmark — chipped a clever cross from the corner of the box.

Luke Shaw was unmarked at the back post and showed tremendous composure to drill a half volley into the back of the net, making history by scoring the fastest ever goal in a Euro final after just one minute and 57 seconds. It was also Shaw’s first international goal.

Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer told Optus Sport it was “absolute madness” as the match started on a stunning note.

The Three Lions replicated the same attacking move 10 minutes later, Kane distributing to Trippier on the right, but this time his cross couldn’t find a teammate.

Italy was shell-shocked by the early goal but slowly started to work its way into the match. Its first real attacking raid saw a nice pass slipped in behind England’s defence but the flag went up for offside.

Raheem Sterling made a probing run after 25 minutes but the final pass let him down on the edge of the area and Italy counter-attacked but was snuffed out by England’s defence.

The Italians started to gain some control in midfield and put the home team’s defence under more pressure but couldn’t land the punch it needed to level the scores.

England wasn’t looking as slick as the match progressed towards halftime. Its passing sequences broke down and there were no further chances to extend its lead.

But Southgate’s troops maintained their advantage at the break, going into the sheds needing to hold on for 45 more minutes.

A little under three minutes into the second half, the referee waved away England’s desperate cries for a penalty after Sterling took a tumble inside the box when Italian defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci paid him close attention.

Pickford passed his first real test of the match, diving down low to his left to stop a strong shot on the hour mark. At the other end of the field a couple of minutes later, John Stones’ header from a corner was tipped over the crossbar.

Italian fans finally had reason to cheer when their team equalised in the 67th minute. Pickford made a tremendous save from a goalmouth scramble after a corner but the ball rebounded off the post to the feet of Bonucci, who poked home Italy’s first goal.

Leonardo Bonucci came to the rescue.

Italy was starting to overrun England as the end approached. Southgate’s troops were willing but came under intense pressure from the Azzurri, who looked far more threatening and likely to find the back of the net again.

A scything run down the left touchline from Federico Chiesa sent a scare through England but the referee wasn’t interested in a free kick when he went down just outside the box 10 minutes from time. Home fans inside Wembley booed Chiesa as he rolled around on the turf after the challenge, complaining of an injury.

The Italian was brought to the sideline for treatment and later hobbled off the field.

Six minutes of added time were put on the clock and as had been the case for much of the second half, Italy dominated possession. But neither side could find a winner at the end of 90 minutes.

Pickford was lucky to keep the ball out when Italy whipped in a cross from the left 10 minutes into added time. He braced himself for contact but lost sight of the ball as attackers honed in on goal, only for the ball to rebound off his back and away from danger.

England received a free kick for handball but couldn’t make the most of its last opportunity before the final 15 minutes got underway.

Pickford fumbled a free kick aimed straight at him to start the second period, but fortunately no Italian players were quick enough to follow-up and make the shot-stopper pay, as he quickly regathered.

Chiellini made a superb tackle to pick Sterling’s pocket inside the box when a clever interchange of passing set up hopes of an England winner.

England super sub Jack Grealish blew up when he copped a studs-up challenge from Jorginho, which stopped play for several minutes and earned the Italian a yellow card.