England are still unbeaten since their dismal performance at the World Cup finals in Brazil where the Three Lions drew their last group match against Costa Rica.
Roy Hodgson’s team played Italy in a friendly last month. On the eve of the match, played in Turin, captain Wayne Rooney said that other national teams are showing more respect to England now.
The Whites emerged from the Juventus Stadium with their heads held high, particularly Tottenham winger Andros Townsend who scored a fine equaliser in a one-all draw.
England’s nine-match unbeaten run:
March 31, 2012 – Italy (Turin) F 1-1 (Townsend).
March 27, 2015 – Lithuania (Wembley) ECQ 4-0 (Rooney, Welbeck, Stirling, Kane).
November 18, 2014 – Scotland (Celtic Park) Friendly 3-1 (Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rooney 2).
November 15, 2014 – Slovenia (Wembley) European Champion-ship qualifier 3-1 (Rooney, Welbeck 2).
October 12, 2014 – Estonia (Tallinn) ECQ 1-0 (Rooney).
October 9, 2014 – San Marino (Wembley) ECQ 5-0 (Jagielka, Rooney pen, Welbeck, Townsend, Delle Valle og).
September 9, 2014 – Switzerland (Basle) ECQ 2-0 (Welbeck 2).
September 4, 2014 – Norway (Wembley) F 1-0 (Rooney).
July 24, 2014 – Costa Rica (Belo Horizonte) World Cup finals 0-0.
Hodgson has done well to steer England to nine positive results on the trot but needs 10 other positive results to equal England’s all-time record of 19 matches (16 wins, and three draws).
That positive streak was achieved by Sir Alf Ramsey’s England between November 1965 and November 1966.
England’s remaining fixtures this year:
June 7: Friendly – away vs Ireland.
June 14: Euro qualifier – away vs Slovenia.
September 5: Euro qualifier – away vs San Marino.
September 8: Euro qualifier – home vs Switzerland.
October 9: Euro qualifier – home vs Estonia.
October 12: Euro qualifier – away vs Lithuania.
November 17: Friendly – home vs France.
England-Italy encounters
| 26 matches – Italy 10 wins, England 8, draw 8 | ||||
| 1933 | (May 13) | Rome | Italy-England | 1-1 |
| Ferrari Giovanni – Bastin | ||||
| 1934 | (Nov. 14) | Highbury | England-Italy | 3-2 |
| Brook 2, Drake – Meazza 2 | ||||
| 1939 | (May 13) | Milan | Italy-England | 2-2 |
| Biavati, Piola – Lawton, Hall | ||||
| 1948 | (May 16) | Turin | Italy-England | 0-4 |
| Mortensen, Lawton 2, Finney | ||||
| 1949 | (Nov.30) | London | England-Italy | 2-0 |
| Rowley J., Wright W. | ||||
| 1952 | (May 18) | Florence | Italy-England | 1-1 |
| Amadei – Broadis | ||||
| 1959 | (May 6) | Wembley | England-Italy | 2-2 |
| B. Charlton, Bradley – Brighenti, Mariani | ||||
| 1961 | (May 24) | Rome | Italy-England | 2-3 |
| Sivori, Brighenti – Hitchens 2, Greaves | ||||
| 1973 | (June 14) | Turin | Italy-England | 2-0 |
| Anastasi, Capello | ||||
| 1973 | (Nov. 14) | Wembley | England-Italy | 0-1 |
| Capello | ||||
| 1976 | (May 28) | New York | England-Italy | 3-2 |
| Channon 2, Royle – Graziani 2 | ||||
| 1976 | (Nov. 17) wc | Rome | Italy-England | 2-0 |
| Antognoni, Bettega | ||||
| 1977 | (Nov. 16) wc | Wembley | England-Italy | 2-0 |
| Keegan, Brooking | ||||
| 1980 | (June 15)ecf | Turin | Italy-England | 1-0 |
| Tardelli | ||||
| 1985 | (June 6) | Mexico City | Italy-England | 2-1 |
| Bagni, Altobelli pen – Hateley | ||||
| 1989 | (Nov. 15) | Wembley | England-Italy | 0-0 |
| 1990 | (July 7) wcf | Bari | Italy-England | 2-1 |
| Baggio, Schillaci pen – Platt | ||||
| 1997 | (Feb. 12) wc | Wembley | England-Italy | 0-1 |
| Zola | ||||
| 1997 | (June 4) | Nantes | England-Italy | 2-0 |
| Scholes, Wright | ||||
| 1997 | (October 11) | Rome | Italy-England | 0-0 |
| 2000 | (Nov. 15) | Turin | Italy-England | 1-0 |
| Gattuso | ||||
| 2002 | (March 27) | Leeds | England-Italy | 1-2 |
| Fowler – Montella 2 | ||||
| 2012 | (June 24)ecf | Kiev | England-Italy | 0-0 2-4 (pen) |
| 2012 | (August 15) | Berne | Italy-England | 1-2 |
| De Rossi – Jagielka, Defoe | ||||
| 2014 | (June 14)wcf | Manaus | England-Italy | 1-2 |
| Sturridge – Marchisio, Balotelli | ||||
| 2015 | (March 31) | Turin | Italy-England | 1-1 |
| Pelle – Townsend | ||||