Rowdy scenes in Melbourne as tens of thousands wake up to watch England vs Italy in Euro 2020

Soccer fans have flocked to the streets and packed out pubs in Melbourne to watch England take on Italy in a European final.

While Sydneysiders have been confined to their homes during the city’s three-week Covid-19 lockdown, Melburnians were shoulder-to-shoulder in Lygon Street as the nerve-wracking title decider went to a penalty shoot-out.

Nerves were already shattered after the Italians ran England ragged in the second half, dealing them a hammer blow on the 67th minute through a scrappy goal from Leonardo Bonucci.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford appeared to have made a great save off the corner before the Italian centre-half rattled the loose ball into the net.

Italian pride: Melburnians were shoulder-to-shoulder in Lygon Street as the nerve-wracking title decider went to a penalty shoot-out

England fans celebrate the first goal while watching at the The Charles Dickens Tavern in Melbourne in the early hours of Monday morning

Italy fans on Lygon Street in Carlton celebrate the team’s equalising goal. Football fans gathered in pubs across Melbourne in the early hours of the morning to watch the Euro 2020 final

Now Gareth Southgate – whose missed penalty at Euro 1996 broke English hearts – is staring down the barrel of watching his men take spot kicks.  

Earlier Luke Shaw gave them a stunning lead within three minutes – the fastest goal ever in a European championship final – sending fans inside the stadium and millions across the nation wild.

A jubilant Prince George threw his arms around his mother Kate as Prince William beamed from ear-to-ear.

Boris Johnson went wild beside wife Carrie as thundering chants of ‘It’s coming home’ reverberated around the national stadium.

More to come