FOOTBALL CAME HOME... AND ITALY LEFT VICTORIOUS

It's barely a 10 mile ride from Stamford Bridge, the home ground of Chelsea F.C., to Wembley Stadium, the proverbial "Home of Football" and the English national soccer team.

All of England wishes Gianfranco Zola hadn't bothered to make the trip.

Chelsea's Zola, one of several dazzling Italian imports to the English Premier League this season, scored the only goal in yesterday's crucial World Cup qualifier against England (3-1-0), thus giving Italy (3-0-0) the upper hand in Group Two play.

Only one team qualifies automatically for France '98 out of each European group of five or six nations.

Zola's goal came in the 20th minute, a powerful right-footed shot which just clipped the foot of England's Sol Campbell on the way past fellow Tottenham teammate Ian Walker, playing in goal only because of a matchday injury to David Seaman.

England's best chance came ten minutes later; Matt Le Tissier's header beat Italian keeper Angelo Peruzzi but bounced wide of an unguarded net.

The victory was Cesare Maldini's first in a competitive match since taking over as the Italian manager from Arrigo Sacchi.