England vs Italy

After the match against Lithuania, Kenneth and the entire England squad, along with the coaching staff, traveled to Italy for a friendly match against the Italian national team.

A few months earlier, Kenneth had visited Italy to face Roma U19. Now, he was returning to play against the senior Italian team.

During the training sessions leading up to the match, Roy Hodgson informed the England players that he wanted to test a new tactical system.

Over the past two days, Hodgson spent considerable time ensuring the players understood this new approach. However, two days were far from sufficient, and many players appeared confused, unsure of what Hodgson was trying to implement.

On March 31, the England team held their final preparations before departing for Allianz Arena.

Kenneth didn't know what had caused the delay, but the kickoff was postponed for several hours. The match eventually started at 1:45 AM.

For this friendly, Roy Hodgson fielded the following starting lineup: Joe Hart; Nathaniel Clyne, Phil Jagielka, Chris Smalling, Kieran Gibbs; Jordan Henderson, Phil Jones, Fabian Delph; Theo Walcott, Harry Kane, and Wayne Rooney.

He experimented with Phil Jones as a hybrid defensive midfielder and center-back. Jones was instructed to stay in the defensive midfield position when England had possession but drop back into the center-back role when the team lost the ball.

Meanwhile, Italy's coach, Antonio Conte, used his signature 3-5-2 formation with the following players: Buffon; Ranocchia, Bonucci, Chiellini; Florenzi, Soriano, Valdifiori, Parolo, Darmian; Eder, and Pelle.

From the start of the match, England appeared to dominate possession, but the players' positioning was disorganized.

In the second minute, Fabian Delph attempted a through ball to Henderson. However, Henderson stood still, expecting a direct pass to his feet. This minor miscommunication allowed Valdifiori, Italy's defensive midfielder, to intercept the ball and pass it to Florenzi on the right flank.

Kieran Gibbs attempted to pressure Florenzi and regain possession, but Florenzi held off the challenge and retained the ball. He quickly delivered a crossfield pass to the opposite flank.

There, Darmian controlled the ball with his chest before sending a low pass to Eder. Eder carried the ball into the penalty area, but as he tried to pass to Pelle, Smalling successfully blocked it.

Italy earned their first corner of the match. Fortunately for England, Jagielka cleared the ball with a solid header, removing the danger from the penalty area.

The game continued with Italy playing a pragmatic style, waiting for England to make mistakes and launching quick counterattacks. Although England tried to be more cautious, small errors provided Italy with opportunities to break forward.

One of Italy's best chances came when Chiellini sent a through ball to Darmian. Darmian sprinted past Clyne, drove the ball into the penalty area, and approached the byline before delivering a low cross into the middle. Jagielka reacted swiftly to cut out the ball before Eder could capitalize.

Despite England being under pressure, Rooney remained a threat. He frequently dropped deeper into midfield, allowing Jordan Henderson and Fabian Delph to push further forward. Rooney distributed the ball to the left, finding Gibbs, who sent a cross toward Kane at the far post.

Kane headed the ball into the box, aiming to set it perfectly for Walcott. Walcott attempted a shot but missed. The Italian defender's clearance fell straight to Rooney, who struck it first-time from outside the penalty area. Unfortunately, his shot ricocheted off an Italian player.

In the 21st minute, Rooney tried to pass the ball to Kane, but Bonucci intercepted it and quickly sent it to Chiellini. Chiellini moved wide to the left before delivering a through ball to Darmian. Darmian and Nathaniel Clyne raced to reach the ball.

Darmian got there first but was immediately confronted by Smalling. Finding it difficult to beat Smalling, Darmian opted to pass the ball to Soriano. Seeing England's tightly-packed defensive line with no gaps to exploit, Soriano slowed the play and passed back to Valdifiori.

Italy began to maintain calm possession, with Valdifiori orchestrating the attack from midfield. In the 27th minute, he sent a ground pass to Florenzi on the right flank. Florenzi glanced toward Pelle and delivered a high cross into England's penalty area. Pelle jumped to meet it, but Jagielka managed to head the ball clear.

Italy earned another corner. This time, Bonucci was the main target. He retreated to the center, leaped to meet the cross, but failed to direct his header on target, sending the ball bouncing out of play.

Soriano reacted quickly, retrieving the ball near the sideline and passing it back to Chiellini. Chiellini skillfully dribbled past Phil Jones and, noticing an opening, lofted a ball into the center of the penalty box. This time, Pelle rose and connected with a powerful header that found the back of Joe Hart's net.

Italy took a 1-0 lead over England.

After conceding the goal, England pushed hard to equalize but struggled to break through. Roy Hodgson made his first substitution, bringing on Carrick for Smalling, moving Carrick to the pivot role and shifting Jones back to center-back. Late in the first half, Hodgson introduced Walker to replace Clyne, who had repeatedly lost duels.

Despite the changes, England couldn't find the equalizer, and the first half ended with Italy leading 1-0.

In the second half, England looked more composed following the introductions of Walker and Carrick. Walker's presence on the right flank added defensive stability and attacking support, while Carrick's ability to control the midfield brought calmness to England's play. Passing errors that had plagued England earlier were significantly reduced, allowing them to regain their characteristic organized style.

Although England dominated possession more effectively, Italy's defensive wall, led by Bonucci and Chiellini, remained impenetrable. Buffon, exuding his usual composure in goal, confidently dealt with England's increasingly coordinated attacks. Italy continued to play pragmatically, waiting to capitalize on any English mistakes with quick counterattacks led by Eder and Pelle.

In the 52nd minute, Henderson received a pass from Carrick and unleashed a shot from outside the box, but it veered wide. England maintained the pressure, exploiting the flanks as Walker and Gibbs pushed forward boldly to deliver crosses into the box.

In the 58th minute, Walker made an overlapping run down the right flank, delivering a sharp cross toward Kane. However, Bonucci was perfectly positioned to head the ball away, nullifying any immediate threat to Italy's goal.

Italy occasionally attempted to break free from England's pressure with counterattacks. In the 60th minute, Valdifiori launched a long ball forward to Pelle. Pelle tried to maneuver within England's penalty area, with Eder positioned to support him. However, Jagielka and Phil Jones combined effectively to stop Pelle's advance, forcing Italy to retreat and recycle possession in midfield.

By the 61st minute, the score remained 1-0 in Italy's favor. Despite England's sustained pressure, they struggled to find the breakthrough, as Italy's defense remained solid and disciplined, leaving little room for error in front of Buffon.

Both teams then made substitutions. Kenneth replaced Walcott, prompting a tactical shift for England to a 4-4-2 diamond formation. Kenneth took up the attacking midfield role, while Rooney moved forward to partner Kane as a striker.

Italy also refreshed their lineup, introducing Vasquez, Immobile, and Abate in place of Florenzi, Eder, and Pelle.