Italy were handed their first defeat in 38 games as they crashed to a 2-1 loss at the hands of Mediterranean rivals Spain in the UEFA Nations League, bringing an end to their 37-game world record run.
This was the Azzurri’s first taste of defeat since September 10, 2018, when they narrowly lost to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. It would be full three years on October 10 – the same day as the third-placed match and the final of the Nations League – since the Azzurri first began their run, a 1-1 draw against Ukraine in a friendly on October 10, 2018.
The three years since then has witnessed coach Roberto Mancini manage the national team through an impeccable run of 28 wins and 9 draws, beating Brazil’s 36-match streak from 1993 to 1996 and Spain’s 35-match run from 2007 to 2009.
However, the defeat to Spain on Wednesday evening at the San Siro would mark Italy’s first loss in Milan at the San Siro since 1926, when the stadium first came into existence.
The last time Italy won at the iconic stadium was in 2012 – a 3-1 win over Denmark in the 2014 World Cup qualification match. Since then, five matches have been played here that includes four draws and one loss – against Spain.