Three years after an embarrassing failure to qualify for the World Cup, Italy is back in contention with the best in Europe.
England, meanwhile, is already out of contention for the Nations League finals with one round of matches still to play.
An Italy squad badly hit by the coronavirus still managed to beat Poland 2-0 on Sunday, putting the Azzurri in control of their group, while England was beaten 2-0 by top-ranked Belgium.
Another win at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday will see Italy hosting the four-team finals in October — just a few months after hosting the opening game of the European Championship in Rome.
“It’s our culture. Italians give their best during difficult moments and become more united. It’s what I asked of these guys before the game and they were extraordinary,” said assistant coach Alberico Evani, who has been standing in for head coach…