England bounced back from a damning defeat to Greece with a comfortable 3-1 win away to Finland in the Nations League.
Lee Carsley made several changes to the team that last at Wembley on Thursday, including the return of captain Harry Kane.
He was not on the scoresheet, but the Three Lions looked more resolute and free-flowing with the Bayern Munich man up front.
Jack Grealish gave the visitors an early lead, playing a smart passed finish into the net after latching onto Angel Gomes’ pass.
Trent Alexander-Arnold doubled the score in the second half, sending a free-kick into the top corner in what can only be described as a stunning strike.
Declan Rice made it 3-0 with a few minutes to go, poking Ollie Watkins’ effort into the bottom corner.
3️⃣ goals and 3️⃣ points for the #ThreeLions 🫶 pic.twitter.com/R1AG4kDll4
— England (@England) October 13, 2024
Finland did get a consolation through Arttu Hoskonen, but it was not enough to down England, who still sit behind Greece in League B Group 2 on goal difference and having played a game less.
Read on to discover the full match report.
How it happened
England started with their usual control and patience, working through the early pressure from Finland.
The first breakthrough came in the 18th minute when Angel Gomes played a sublime through-ball to Grealish, whose perfectly timed run behind the Finnish defence left him one-on-one with goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
The Manchester City winger made no mistake, slotting home calmly to give England a 1-0 lead.
SUPER, SUPER JACK! ✨ pic.twitter.com/ZwlFso6qNe
— England (@England) October 13, 2024
Finland, despite going behind, responded with a few promising attacks.
A defensive lapse from England almost let the hosts back in, but Fredrik Jensen missed a golden opportunity in the 57th minute, blazing his shot over the bar with only the goalkeeper to beat.
The miss proved costly as England regained control and steadily increased the pressure.
The…
Source link : https://www.101greatgoals.com/football/internationals/finland-1-3-england-nations-league/
Author : Mitch Fretton
Publish date : 2024-10-13 18:04:14
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