After a 0-0 draw with Italy in the Nations League, England's winless streak reached three games for the first time in four years.
Mason Mount hit the crossbar from close range as the Three Lions came close to seizing the lead in the first half.
The visitors had chances of their own, but Aaron Ramsdale made a fantastic save to deny Sandro Tonali an early goal.
In the second half, Raheem Sterling almost put Gareth Southgate's side up, but he squandered a fantastic chance from Reece James' free-kick.
New players have arrived.
holders of the European Championship Italy was eliminated from the World Cup playoffs earlier this year after losing 1-0 to tiny North Macedonia.
It has resulted in a reshuffle of the Azzurri team, with coach Roberto Mancini making numerous debuts since then.
It was a vastly different starting lineup from the one that faced England in the European Championship final 11 months before. This conflict began with only two members of that side.
Mancini looks to have made Gianluca Scamacca his first-choice striker, and there will have been plenty of eyes on the Sassuolo talisman this summer, given reports of Premier League interest.
Throughout the game, the striker showed his worth by making runs in behind as well as providing a focal point and keeping the ball up.
Is it possible to have too much football?
This was the third game in seven days for these two countries, so the low-quality fare was unsurprising.
Both sets of players were exhausted after a demanding domestic season, and a vacation was much required.
As two heavily cycled XIs huffed and puffed without much success, there was a distinct lack of urgency on both sides.
On Tuesday, England hosts Hungary in their final Nations League match of the summer at Molineux. Italy will meet Germany in Monchengladbach.
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