By Robert Wheeler
- England defeat Italy thanks to Kane’s penalty
- Wins for both Northern Ireland and Scotland
- Wales leave it late to claim a draw with Croatia
Europe – It was a great round for the Home Nations, with wins for England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, whilst Wales left it late to claim a draw with Croatia.
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Kane breaks record in England win
England defeated Italy 2-1 in Naples to kickstart their European Championship qualifiers. The victory was also revenge for their defeat in the final of Euro 2020 to the Italians. On the surface, it was a great win, but the Three Lions always made it very hard for themselves.
Declan Rice gave England the lead after some very poor defending by Italy from a corner. VAR then awarded the visiting side a penalty. This was not only a chance for Harry Kane to make amends for his penalty miss against France in the quarter-finals of the World Cup but it was also a chance to break Wayne Rooney‘s all-time England record. Kane fired his penalty in and you could see how much it meant to him in his celebration.
Gareth Southgate‘s side could have added to their lead, with Jude Bellingham and Kalvin Phillips coming close from range, whilst Jack Grealish missed a great chance at the end of the first half.
The second period was far from comfortable. Italy came back at England and got one back through the Argentina-born forward Mateo Retegui. Southgate’s side was then reduced to 10 men when Luke Shaw was shown two yellow cards in quick succession. However, the Three Lions managed to hang on for their first win in Italy since 1961.
Northern Ireland also win in Southern Europe
Whilst England was winning in Naples, Northern Ireland claimed a victory over San Marino which is a county that is enclaved by Italy. Dion Charles scored twice to ensure Michael O’Neill a perfect start to his second stint in charge.
Charles found the back of the net in each half to claim his brace. The Bolton player’s first goal was a clever finish assisted by Conor Washington. His second was an excellent diving header from a Jamal Lewis cross. San Marino thought they had got one back through Nicola Nanni but it was ruled out for offside and the Green and White Army held on for all three points.
San Marino has never won a competitive match and they are currently ranked 211th in the World. There will be tougher fixtures for O’Neil’s side but they can only beat what was in front of them.
Scotland put three past Cyprus
There is a buzz around Scottish football at the moment, head coach Steve Clarke has just signed a new contract and his side defeated Cyprus 3-0 to ensure a winning start for their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Scotland dominated the first half and took the lead from a John McGinn finish. Scott McTominay came off the bench to score twice to end any hope that Cyprus might get something from the game. It got worse for the Cypriots when Nikolas Ioannou was sent off for a second bookable offence in added time.
Fans leaving Hampden Park will be relieved as there was increased pressure on Scotland before McTominay’s brace. The scoreline did flatter Clarke’s side and they will be hoping for more convincing performances going forward but it was an important victory.
Late goal rescues a point for Wales
It is somewhat of a transition period for Wales, Gareth Bale has now retired and it is time for a new generation to continue the legacy that he has left on the side. The first game of the post-Bale era saw some promising signs as Nathan Broadhead‘s goal rescued a point in a 1-1 draw with Croatia in Split. Broadhead may not be a name familiar to many, as he is just 18 and plays for League One side Ipswich Town.
The home side controlled the game with Luka Modric still pulling the strings at the age of 37. Andrej Kramaric gave them the lead with a strike from outside the box.
Modric was taken off in added time and Croatia seemed to immediately fall apart, as Broadhead equalised soon after from a long throw by Conor Roberts. It was not a pretty performance from Rob Page‘s side but they have claimed what could be a crucial point in their bid to qualify for Euro 2024.
Matchday 2 of the European Championship Qualifying begins on Sunday, March 26.
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