England's third and final group game at Euro 2024 was another tough watch.
Yes, there were some positives to clean from the blank against Slovenia. The point means that the Three Lions top the group and are in the favourable half of the draw, while Gareth Southgate's second-half substitutes all brought something to the team.
But the fact remains that this much-lauded England team managed to score just two goals in a group that contained the teams ranked 21st, 32nd and 57th in the FIFA world rankings. Southgate has led his team to a semi-final, final and quarter-final in their past two tournaments and improvements are needed if they are to match, let alone surpass these previous performances.
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But if Southgate and his players are looking for an omen, then how about using Italia 90 as inspiration? For fans of a certain age, this remains the best tournament in modern history and England's start in Germany looks awfully similar to the opening stages of the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
In fact, Group C at Euro 2024 has ended up exactly as England's Group F did 34 years ago. Back in 1990, England had a workmanlike 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland, a goalless encounter with the then-European Champions the Netherlands, plus a narrow 1-0 win over Egypt.
So that's a win and two draws, with two goals scored and one conceded - just as they have done so far this summer. In fact, results across the whole group were identical, with the only difference being England's points total, as it was only two points for a win back then.
England's Euro 2024 group ended up exactly the same as Italia 90 for results and goals scored for every team - only difference is it was two points for a win back then. pic.twitter.com/N3H7mOdgHGJune 25, 2024
And here's where the hope comes in. Sir Bobby Robson's side were then able to get past Belgium 1-0 in the last 16 thanks to David Platt's 119th-minute striker before a pair of Gary Lineker penalties helped to finally see off Roger Milla's Cameroon in the quarter-finals to set up their first World Cup semi-final since 1966.
We all know how that panned out, as England got their first taste of losing to Germany in a penalty shootout, as Franz Beckenbauer's West Germany side. But - England and Germany are on different halves of the draw this time out, so we won't have to sit through that again.
Even if you don't believe in omens, the Italia 90 run shows that a team can build momentum after a bumpy group stage and can provide inspiration for Southgate's men this time out. Just as long as it doesn't end in Jude Bellingham sobbing his way through the end of a semi-final...
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