The Euro 2020 Final got off to a brutal start for Italy, with England scoring a goal just two minutes into Sunday’s match at Wembley Stadium. But Italy’s defense really tightened up to hold England scoreless the rest of the way, and Leonardo Bonucci tied it up in the 67th minute.
BONUCCI LEVELS IT FOR ITALY 🇮🇹#EURO2020 | #ITA
(via @ESPNFC) pic.twitter.com/QZIaslWjOA
— ESPN (@espn) July 11, 2021
And after 120 minutes wasn’t enough to decide the game, it went to a penalty shootout, where Italy came out on top 3-2. Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stopped a shot from Bukayo Saka to win the shootout and give Italy the Euro title.
DONNARUMMA SAVES THE PENALTY!
ITALY ARE #EURO2020 CHAMPIONS 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/qZE20KQMCG
— ESPN (@espn) July 11, 2021
#Penales ¡ITALIA CAMPEÓN! ¡ITALIA CAMPEÓN! ¡ITALIA CAMPEÓN! ¡ITALIA CAMPEÓN! 🔥🇮🇹
Donnarumma vuelve a atajar. 😎#ITA: ✅❌✅✅❌#ENG: ✅✅❌❌❌#ITA 3-2 #ENG#EuroTUDN I #VeranoDeCampeones I #EURO2020
🔴 ¡En vivo!
📲 TUDN y @univision
👉 https://t.co/XDoOV4f8iI pic.twitter.com/XvLTChqrra— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) July 11, 2021
𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗞. 𝗜𝗧. 𝗜𝗡.#VivoAzzurro #EURO2020 #ITA #ITAENG pic.twitter.com/eRuZlm1ej3
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) July 11, 2021
England has won just 22% (2/9) of their major tournament shootouts (World Cup/EUROs), the lowest ratio of any European nation to have been involved in three or more.
England has failed to win/advance in 6 of the 7 EURO matches in which the team scored in the opening 5 minutes. pic.twitter.com/t3nFG9zqdg
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 11, 2021
It’s Italy’s first European championship since 1968 (which is their only other European title). And it’s yet another heartbreaking outcome for England, who hasn’t won an international title since the World Cup in 1966.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.