Italy v England player ratings: Retegui 8, Di Lorenzo 4; Kane 8, Shaw 5

Kane penalty in 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifier sees him become England's all-time top scorer with 54 goals

ITALY RATINGS: Gianluigi Donnarumma - 6. Displayed excellent reflexes to tip a Bellingham shot over the bar in the 12th minute. Had next to nothing to do in the second half. AFP

Giovanni Di Lorenzo - 4. Carelessly handled the ball while challenging Kane to give the Three Lions a penalty. Reuters

Leonardo Spinazzola - 5. Endured a torrid first half against the in-form Bukayo Saka. Had very little defensive work to do in the second half but got forward well to support in attack. Getty Images

Rafael Toloi - 5 Gave Rice too much space to get a shot off and give England the lead in the 13th minute. Looked more solid after that early gaffe. Getty Images

Francesco Acerbi - 6. A quiet game for Acerbi in the middle of Italy's backline. Stuck to his job well and had a half chance to draw Italy level in the second half. EPA

Nicolo Barella - 6. His combative spirit saw him get into a number of scuffles in the first half. A tireless runner, but he lacked that bit of quality to provide the final pass to breach England’s backline. AP

Jorginho - 5. Worked hard at the base of Italy’s midfield but got overrun by England's more athletic midfielders in the first half. Improved in the second half. AFP

Marco Verrati - 7. Played a brilliant pass to find Pellegrini in the box early in the second half. Helped Italy win the midfield battle after the break. EPA

Domenico Berardi - 5. Struggled against Shaw and failed to provide much of a threat to Pickford’s goal. Getty Images

Lorenzo Pellegrini - 7. Delivered two dangerous corners to cause panic in the England penalty area at the beginning of the second half. Found Rategui with a disguised pass to bring the Azzurri back into the game. Getty Images

Mateo Retegui - 8. Should have at least tested Pickford from a corner in the sixth minute. Capped off his debut with a side-footed finish into the bottom corner to bring Italy back into the game. EPA

SUBS: Matteo Politano (Berardi, 62) - 6. Almost got on the end of a Gnonto cross in the 77th minute. Getty Images

Bryan Cristante (Barrela, 62) - 6. Worked hard after coming on but couldn't help Italy grab the equaliser. Getty Images

Wilfred Gnonto (Pellegrini, 69) - 7. Came on and caused a lot of problems for England on the right-hand side. Getty Images

Sandro Tonali (Jorginho, 69) - 6. Denied by a Stones block in the 75th minute. Added an extra body to the Azzurri midfield to help the dominate the game in the second half. Getty Images

ENGLAND RATINGS: Jordan Pickford - 6. Displayed his sweeper-keeper role to deny Berardi in the 30th minute. Made two decent saves to deny Italy an equaliser. Getty Images

Kyle Walker - 6. Had a good game against Pellegrini in the first half but really struggled against the more tricky Gnonto as Italy piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser. Getty Images

Luke Shaw - 5. Defended and attacked well in the first half. Picked up a first yellow card for time wasting in the 78th minute and just a minute later, picked up a second booking for a foul. EPA

Harry Maguire - 4. At fault for Italy’s first goal as he made a misplaced pass, needlessly jumped in to foul Barella whilst trying to recover the ball, and left Rategui in acres of space to bring the Azzurri back into the game. Looked shaky as the Italy piled on the pressure. Getty Images

John Stones - 7. Made a good last-man block to deny Retegui in the 39th minute. Made a number of last-ditch blocks to deny Italy in the second half and looked like the more assured defender next to Maguire. AFP

Declan Rice - 9. Had a very busy start to the game with Italy applying early pressure. Gave England the lead with a close-range left-footed finish in the 13th minute. Made a well-timed sliding challenge to stop Barella at the edge of the box in the 27th minute. AP Photo

Jude Bellingham - 6. Tested Donnarumma with a rasping shot in the 12th minute. Enjoyed a lively first half but struggled to get involved in the second. Getty Images

Kalvin Philips - 6. Had a chance to play Kane through on goal but chose to shoot and hit his shot wide in the 32nd minute. Provided good cover for the Three Lions backline next to Rice. AP Photo

Jack Grealish - 5. Inexplicably missed an open goal when Kane found him with a low cross in the 46th minute. Failed to really get into the game in the second half. Getty Images

Bukayo Saka - 7. Had England's first shot on target with a tame shot in the eighth minute. Was a thorn in the flesh of Spinazzola all through the game. AP Photo

Harry Kane - 8. His blocked shot from close range ricochetted into the path of Rice to give England the lead. Became England’s top scorer from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time. Getty Images

SUBS: Phil Foden (Grealish, 69) - N/A. Surprisingly subbed off early in the 81st minute due to a red card to Shaw. Getty Images

Kieran Trippier (Foden, 81) - N/A. Came on to try and help England close out the game with 10 men. EPA

Reece James (Saka, 85) - N/A. A solid short cameo as Southgate looked to hold on for the win. Getty Images

Conor Gallagher (Bellingham, 85) - N/A. Wonderful cameo. Was everywhere, breaking up play, tidying up. Getty Images

Nick Judd

Harry Kane described his 54th international goal as a "magical moment" as he became England's all-time leading goalscorer in a 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifying win away to Italy on Thursday.

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The Tottenham striker banished memories of his crucial penalty miss in the Three Lions' World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in December by smashing home a spot-kick just before half-time to give the visitors a 2-0 lead in Naples.

"It had to be a penalty, and once it hit the back of the net, huge emotion," Kane told Channel 4. "A magical moment."

On his 81st international appearance, the England captain moved clear of Wayne Rooney's tally of 53 goals for the Three Lions.

"I knew it wouldn't take long but that was quick," Rooney posted on Twitter. "Great man, unbelievable goalscorer and an England legend. Congrats Harry."

Updated: March 24, 2023, 3:52 AM