London (AFP)

On the tails, the English flash goal or the Italian mind;

face side, overflows around Wembley or the choices of Gareth Southgate ... The tops and flops of the final of the Euro, won by Italy (1-1 ap, 3-2 tab) on Sunday.

- Tops -

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Gentlemen English, shoot first!

Flash goal!

By opening the scoring after one minute and 57 seconds of play, Englishman Luke Shaw broke a record: that of the fastest goal scored in the final of the European Championship.

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This record of precocity was until then ancient history, with missing protagonists.

Its holder, the late striker Jesus Maria "Chus" Pereda, who opened the scoring for Spain after 5 minutes 17 in the final of the 1964 edition ... and his victim, the USSR, beaten 2- 1 by the Spanish "Furia".

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Italy to the mind

Battlers!

The Italians, extinct in the first period, were able to resuscitate their creative and offensive game after returning from the locker room, to thwart an English defense with confidence.

Led by the score, it was Lorenzo Insigne, full of commitment, and especially Federico Chiesa, at the origin of several chances, who embodied the Italian will to hold on.

And it is the grumpy Leonardo Bonucci, with experience, who cracked the impenetrable + catenaccio + English (57th), with a fox's foot dish.

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You had to see the veteran of Juventus Turin let burst his joy by climbing on the billboards in front of the Italian tifosi to measure the years of frustration evacuated in this achievement, he who has known all the disillusions of the decade with the Nazionale.

Captain Chiellini has shown himself to be impeccable and cunning, as with an opportunistic foul (sanctioned with a yellow card), a shirt pulling to prevent Saka from leaving alone to goal.

And goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma rounded off the mental victory, allowing the Azzurri to turn things around on penalties.

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The suspense king

English and Italians went into overtime ... the eighth of this Euro, out of 15 knockout matches.

The penalty shootout was the fourth of this edition.

In both cases, the Italians were used to the exercise: they played their third overtime and their second shootout.

England had only played extra time in the semi-final against Denmark.

The inexperience will have been fatal to him.

- Flops -

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"No limit" at Wembley

England have dreamed of a title for 55 years ... maybe a little too much.

The pre-match at Wembley was, as expected, punctuated by excessive demonstrations from English fans, some visibly tipsy, in defiance of health and safety precautions: broken glass, throwing stones ... And in the stadium, anthem and Italian players were extensively booed.

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But above all, the "no limit" atmosphere in places overwhelmed the security system surrounding the stadium.

Supporters forced roadblocks leading to the close perimeter of the stadium, forcing police intervention.

Some managed to enter the stadium without a ticket, police and the stadium company said.

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Southgate, losing coaching

Before kick-off, England coach Gareth Southgate surprised by aligning, in the midfield of his 3-4-3 pattern, two professional side defenders: Kieran Trippier on the right, Luke Shaw on the left.

After two minutes, it's an apparent stroke of genius: Shaw initiates the very first English action.

Trippier goes up, gets the ball and delivers a cross on the line for ... Shaw, who scores with a splendid half-volley.

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But after the Italian equalizer, Southgate chooses to replace Trippier with Bukayo Saka ... without any effect on the attack of the Three Lions.

He is waiting until the very end of extra time to bring in young scorers Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.

Rashford, Sancho and Saka, the three shooters who made him lose the shootout.

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Kane, in the eye of the storm

Despite his successful shot on goal (in vain), English captain Harry Kane was a big absent from the final, concluding with a defeat a Euro half-fig half-grape.

Certainly, he sucks up the Italian defense and clears the ground for Shaw's opener.

But the Three Lions star scorer, too low to be dangerous, misses the opportunity to be the hero of this final ... and also to join Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick as co-top scorer of the Euro.

"The Hurricane" remains stuck at 4 goals, one unit from the Portuguese and the Czech.

© 2021 AFP