Italy vs England: Times, how to watch on TV, stream online | Euro 2024 qualifying

Group C of qualification for the 2024 European Champions gets underway with a repeat of the Euro 2020 final as Italy play host to England at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples.

When does Italy vs England kick off?

The game between Italy and England starts on Thursday 23 March 2023 at:

How to watch Italy vs England

Italy vs England preview

Italy

Italy have got a point to prove. They may have won Euro 2020 by defeating England in a penalty shoot-out at Wembley but things haven’t gone especially well for Roberto Mancini and his side since then. Before 2018, they had only ever failed to qualify for one World Cup – in 1958 – but they have now missed the last two following their absence in Qatar.

As defending champions, and with two teams qualifying from the group, it would be a huge shock if they didn’t make it to Germany, although Ukraine will hope to push them and England for a top-two spot.

There are three teenagers in Mancini’s first squad of the campaign, which contains old timers Leonardo Bonucci and Marco Verratti, but also 13 players with 10 caps or fewer. With Lazio striker Ciro Immobile and Juventus winger Federico Chiesa forced to pull out through injury and the likes of Andrea Bellotti and Lorenzo Insigne not called up, Mancini will be looking for a new goalscoring hero to emerge.

England

Since failing to reach Euro 2008, England have become qualification masters, both for the European Championships and the World Cup. They have regularly qualified for tournaments with ease and have somewhat shaken off their tag as underperformers once the real action gets underway, although they missed big opportunities to finally add to their sole World Cup win in the 2018 World Cup (when they lost to Croatia in the semi-finals) and in Euro 2020, when they were 1-0 against Italy on home soil, only to lose on spot-kicks.

On paper, and mainly due to Italy’s presence, this is probably the toughest qualification group the Three Lions have been drawn in for quite some time, although the fact that two teams will make it to Germany means there is less jeopardy than there has been in the past.

Almost all of Gareth Southgate’s big hitters are available for the game in Naples, although Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, who has been in red-hot form since the World Cup, has withdrawn through injury. Once more, there is no place in the squad for Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, thought by many to be one of the world’s best right-backs, although Southgate doesn’t appear to be one of them.

Italy vs England: last five meetings

September 2022: Italy 1-0 England, UEFA Nations League

June 2022: England 0-0 Italy, UEFA Nations League

July 2021: Italy 1-1 England (3-2 on penalties), Euro 2020 final

March 2018: England 1-1 Italy, Friendly

March 2015: Italy 1-1 England, Friendly

Who will referee Italy vs England?

The referee for Italy vs England will be Serbian Srdan Jovanović.