David Nugent gave England the lead with a close-range header from Leighton Baines' cross on 24 minutes. Leroy Lita then atoned for an earlier glaring miss, doubling England's lead just two minutes later with an emphatic left foot finish from Ashley Young's well-weighted through ball.

Giorgio Chiellini pulled a goal back on 35 minutes after the ball ricocheted in off his thigh from a corner. Italy enjoyed the better of the second half, and got their reward when midfielder Alberto Aquilani drove home a low shot from long-range on 67 minutes.

England now sit second in the group, though need to win their final group game against Serbia on Sunday to guarantee themselves a place in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Though Giampaolo Pazzini stunned England with a first-minute goal in the meeting between these two sides at the new Wembley Stadium in March, he saw precious little of the ball in the early stages, as England took control of the game.

Stephen Taylor saw a header saved by goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano from Ashley Young's cross, before Lita passed up a glorious opportunity to open the scoring.

The Reading striker raced onto Mark Noble's pass, rounded Viviano, though inexplicably sidefooted his shot wide of the near post with the goal at his mercy.

He then rattled the crossbar with a volley from ten yards after Viviano had spilled a cross, though England finally took a deserved lead soon after, with Nugent ghosting in ahead of his marker to glance Baines' cross home.

Young had proved too hot to handle for the Italian defence on the left wing, though it was from a central position that he created England's second. He picked up the ball 40 yards from goal, charged at the heart of the back four, and slipped in Lita on the left, who hammered his shot beyond Viviano and in at the near post.

Aquilani gave a reminder of Italy's threat from set pieces on the half hour mark, rattling the bar with a 35-yard screamer, before Chiellini pulled the Azzurri level five minutes later from close range, though whether or not he knew much about Palladino's miscued shot before it cannoned off his thigh is debatable.

Scott Carson then came to England's rescue before half-time producing an excellent save low to his left after the ever-dangerous Pazzini had risen above Onuoha in the air to meet Alessandro Rosina's cross.

Italy introduced Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi and Marco Motta at the break, and improved immeasurably.

Carson denied Montolivo from long-range, before he looked on relieved as Pazzini headed over after again beating Onuoha in the air.

An unthreatening attempt from Lita was England's only bright moment as Italy poured forward time and again, and it was no surprise when Aquilani blasted a low shot from 25 yards in at Carson's right hand post to level the scores on 70 minutes.

Italy continued to press forward in search of a winner, with Rosina lashing a shot inches over the bar and Riccardo Montolivo drawing a fine save from Scott Carson.

Young briefly threatened after dashing through Montolivo and Aquilani into the area, though Viviano saved well, and the evening finished on a sour note for the Aston Villa man as he picked up a late booking for time-wasting that rules him out of England's crucial game with Serbia on Sunday.

Elsewhere in group B, an injury-time goal from Bosko Jankovic gave Serbia a 1-0 victory over Czech Republic and put Serbia into the knockout stages of the tournament.

The Real Mallorca forward headed home a fine cross from Milan Smiljanic at the near post to finally end the Czech's resistance.

Defences prevailed in a tight first half, though Serbia forward Dragan Mrdja had a reasonable penalty appeal waved away after going down under a challenge from Czech 'keeper Zdenek Zlamal.

Bosko Jankovic tested Zlamal ten minutes into the second half with a well struck shot, before Michal Papadopulos missed a volley from Josef Kaufman's towering cushioned header at the far post. Djordje Rakic then had a low drive well saved by Zlamal as the Serbs pressed toward the end of the match, though the 'keeper could do nothing about Jankovic's late winner.