Italy v England: Euro 2020 finalists meet looking to regain lost momentum

After the Euro 2020 final at Wembley that brought despair on the pitch accompanied by bitterness and recriminations, both England and Italy are looking to regain lost steam.

The bare facts show that England suffered the familiar fate of defeat on penalties after a 1-1 draw, the disappointment intensified by the loss being at home and after 55 years of waiting for a major final.

It was a day of chaos caused by hooliganism, a lack of crowd control, and racist abuse by England fans after they missed the chance to win the game, and it should have been a celebration.

Both England and Italy are hoping to forget about their poor results in their last games when they play in the San Siro.

England can use the two Nations League games against Italy and Germany as a way of avoiding the embarrassment of being demoted from their group, and also as a chance to see how they fare at the World Cup in November.

Italy's fall from grace after their deserved night of Wembley glory has been so swift and painful that they will not be able to watch the game's biggest showpiece from afar.

All eyes will be on Italy's coach after they lost to Germany in their last game, the first time anyone had put so many goals past them since 1957.

The slide of four games without a win is England's worst since they went five matches without a win in the summer of 2014).

Since being defeated by Italy at Wembley, they have played 13 games and won seven, drew four and lost two.

The national fervour that accompanied England on their journey to the Euro 2020 final has waned over time, the sense growing that failing to win a major tournament on home soil must now be seen as a huge missed opportunity.

Since losing to Italy, have England moved forward? They didn't present a compelling case to suggest they have.

After the four nil loss to Hungary in June, the atmosphere at the game was so hostile that it felt like the fans had lost their minds.

Chants of 'You don't know what you're doing' echoed around Wolves' stadium once more after England were knocked out of the World Cup by Croatia in the semi-finals. Harry Kane was disappointed when he was asked about the manager's position.

As England manager, it's as safe as it can get. He is admired by the Football Association for his character, record and other things. It will be at a time of his choosing if he leaves, having signed a contract that will keep him in office through December 2024.

After the Hungary defeat, he cut a more world-weary figure than usual and created a stir when he said that he wouldn't outstay his welcome.

There is no doubt that England need to perform well in the next two games to make up for the fact that they may have missed out on a chance to win the Nations League last year.

The World Cup will affect how his time as England manager will be remembered. After dismal efforts in major tournaments under Capello and Hodgson, expectations have been raised by what he has accomplished.

The England side was in disarray after Sam Allardyce's one game reign. The two Nations League matches will be important in forming the mood for the World Cup because the goodwill can run out quickly.

With only two games before he assembles the list of those he hopes will prove his England are not nearly men and can finally claim the major prize that has eluded the men's team since 1966.

Ivan Toney, Tammy Abraham and Jude Bellingham were all in the running to be Kane's understudy, but it was Ivan Toney who was the one who got the nod.

The absence of first-choice keeper Jordan Pickford through injury means that the likes of Nick Pope and Dean Henderson will want to push their claims to be next in line.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire's involvement will be under intense scrutiny after he was dropped by the manager after a poor start to the season.

If England can come away from the San Siro with a win, it will be a huge boost to their confidence.