EVIDENTLY, there are only so many barriers you can break in the course of a single tournament. England might have experienced the unique sensation of playing in their first major final for 55 years, but some much more familiar failings proved their undoing once again.

Penalties, the English curse, proved decisive once more. Gareth Southgate’s side have achieved so much this tournament, but ultimately, their undoing was grimly predictable. Beating Colombia on spot-kicks at the last World Cup might have dismantled an important psychological hurdle, but there is clearly much more work to be done if England are to become shoot-out masters.

They missed three of their five efforts last night, with only Harry Kane and Harry Maguire finding the target. Southgate’s decision to bring on Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho in the 120th minute of the game specifically to take a penalty backfired badly, with the pair both missing as they stepped up in the most pressurised situation imaginable to take what was effectively their first touch of the match. Rashford stuttered nervously before shooting against the outside of the post, while Sancho’s effort was saved by Gianligui Donnarumma to his left.

That meant Jorginho stepping up to win it for Italy, but having already made one fine save from Andrea Belotti, the Wearsider turned the Chelsea midfielder’s tame effort onto the upright.

England had a lifeline, but it was spurned when Bukayo Saka aimed his spot-kick too close to Donnarumma’s left hand, enabling the Italian goalkeeper to make his second fine save.

In truth, Italy were deserved winners, handling the disappointment of conceding a second-minute goal to Luke Shaw superbly before going on to dominate the vast remainder of the game.

England performed in a manner that was eerily reminiscent of their World Cup exit at the hands of Croatia in Russia three years ago. They were handed a dream start, but failed to build on it, seemingly unsure whether to go for the jugular or sit off and try to keep their opponents’ at arm’s length.

They had lost all momentum by the time Leonardo Bonucci equalised midway through the second half, with Southgate’s passivity not really helping them. The England boss has had a superb Euros, but with his side needing a change of direction in the second half of last night’s game, his inherent conservatism won through. He leaves the tournament in credit, but it is hard not to wonder what might have been had Jack Grealish, or even Rashford or Sancho, not come on sooner.

The night could not have started any more positively, but it did not take long for the hosts’ early dominance to dissipate. Before half-time, elements of the ‘old England’ had returned as nerves, insecurities and an inability to hold on to possession resurfaced. With that in mind, perhaps losing on penalties was the right way for things to end. You don’t get any more ‘old England’ than that.

Southgate’s decision to switch to three centre-halves was a surprise, but initially at least, it was vindicated. Luke Shaw and Kieran Trippier were able to push high up the pitch in their respective wing-back positions, and they combined for England’s remarkable opening goal, which at one minute and 50 seconds, was the fastest ever scored in a European Championship final.

Harry Kane sparked the break that led to the opener, spotting Trippier in space down the right and sweeping the ball into his path. The Atletico Madrid full-back whipped an excellent ball towards the back post, and having gambled by breaking into the box, Shaw did not have to break stride as he lashed home a first-time volley from just outside the six-yard box. It was the defender’s first England goal – no matter what he goes on to achieve in the rest of his career, he will not claim a more important one.

Wembley erupted in a mixture of euphoria, joy and sheer disbelief. Some fans, still scrambling up the gangways, were celebrating without really knowing what had just happened. One imagines they will get plenty of opportunities to relive it over the next few decades.

The goal set the tone for a game that was surprisingly open from the off. Trippier made life uncomfortable for Italian left-back Emerson Palmieri all evening, charging forward down the England right, and with Kane once again proving willing to drop deep to pick up possession and spread the play, Italy’s much-vaunted defence creaked on a number of occasions.

Both Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini were forced to make last-ditch interventions to ensure England did not move further ahead before the break, although for all that Declan Rice had an excellent game at the base of England’s midfield, breaking up attacks and running adventurously with the ball at his feet, Italy’s playmakers also became increasingly influential as they attempted to secure a route back into the game.

Lorenzo Insigne has been Italy’s attacking talisman all tournament, and the Napoli man was at it again last night, picking up pockets of space behind Ciro Immobile and sparking attacks with a succession of intelligent flicks and touches.

England’s defence had to be alert and disciplined, and to a man, the members of the home side’s backline proved up to the task. John Stones and Harry Maguire were especially impressive, to the extent that Jordan Pickford’s goal was only seriously threatened once in the first half. Federico Chiesa shrugged off the attentions of Rice as he drove towards the penalty area, but his low drive flew just wide of the post.

Insigne whistled a free-kick over the crossbar at the start of the second half, and drilled another strike off target after cutting infield from the left moments later. He finally found his range just before the hour mark, but while his low shot forced Pickford into his first save, it lacked the power needed to seriously test the Wearsider.

That was a routine save for Pickford, but he produced a much better one in the 62nd minute as Italy’s growing pressure threatened to tell. Chiesa drifted into a dangerous position as he darted across the face of the box, but Pickford got down to his left to parry the forward’s low drive.

The momentum of the game had completely changed though, and Italy claimed the equaliser their second-half play merited in the 67th minute. A corner was flicked on at the near post, enabling Insigne to wriggle free at the back post and direct a header towards goal. Pickford turned the ball onto the post, but it rebounded invitingly for Bonucci, who gleefully stabbed home.

Suddenly, it was English backs that were firmly against the wall, and while Southgate swapped Trippier for Saka in an attempt to wrest back some control, switching back to a flat back four in the process, it was Italy who continued to push in the closing stages.

With England’s players sitting deep, it became a case of the hosts playing out time, and while Italy were unable to claim a winner, they ended the game as the dominant force by a clear distance. As a result, they were the right winners on spot-kicks, no matter how much that hurt.