Scotland 1, England 3 (150th Anniversary Match at Hampden Park)
England celebrated victory in their 116th meeting against Scotland in the 150th Anniversary match to commemorate the first game between the two sides in 1872.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe win meant that England became the first side to record 600 victories in international football.
Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane scored the goals that underlined the gulf between the sides while Harry Maguire’s own goal briefly gave the Scots hope in the second half.
Influential midfielder Jude Bellingham was pleased with how he had improved for the game in Scotland.
He said: “I wasn’t happy with how we played against Ukraine, I knew I wanted to be near my best today so England fans could go home happy.
“I wanted to get myself involved and perform better this evening and I did that.”
With two holding midfielders behind him Bellingham was allowed to play closer to Harry Kane, higher up and the pitch, and he was certainly revelling in the chance to influence the game in the final third.
He added: “If you look at my performances in Madrid it’s a free role – they let me go all over the pitch and create chances and finish them too – and I can do a lot better.
“Today’s role is close to how I’d like to play for England.
“I do my best to slot in and do what the gaffer wants from me.”
England manager Gareth Southgate was delighted with the way his team responded to their lacklustre performance on Saturday.
He said: “We were excellent on all phases of the game, right from the start.
“Saturday wasn’t the performance we wanted but we did better tonight.
“We wanted to control the crowd by using the ball well and having composure.
“We had runners in behind and from 1 to 11 we all did well.
He was also pleased with the performance of young star Jude Bellingham who scored and also had a hand in the other goals.
He said: “Jude doesn’t have to prove to us, we know he’s a good player.
“Saturday wasn’t his best game but he had fantastic personality to come back from a poor game.
“He likes to run forward and get in to the box, he receives better that high up too.”
“Scotland’s system is difficult to play against so we changed our system to get him the ball higher up.
And he also praised City midfielder Phil Foden, adding: “Phil Foden scored a goal and did a really good job without the ball tonight.
“We pressed well and counter pressed well.”
Improved England step up their game to beat auld rivals Scotland
Southgate made six changes from the side that started the game against Ukraine in Poland.
Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Trippier, Lewis Dunk, Kalvin Phillips, Phil Foden, and Marcus Rashford started the game while Jordan Pickford, Ben Chilwell, Harry Maguire, Jordan Henderson, Bukayo Saka, and James Maddison stood down.
And after criticism for leaving the in-firm Manchester City midfielder out Phil Foden broke the deadlock.
England were in control in the first half and, after a cagey start scored twice in the space of 2 minutes and 47 seconds.
Phil Foden broke the deadlock with his fourth England goal from 6 yards out after 32 minutes when he diverted Kyle Walker’s shot past Angus Gunn after an intricate attack down the right flank saw Rashford and Bellingham combine to set up Walker for his effort.
Less than three minutes later Scotland were under immense pressure when Foden’s sumptuous teasing cross found Harry Kane who miscontrolled the ball but Andy Robertson made a hash of his clearance, sending the ball directly to Jude Bellingham who sent it back with interest to double the England lead with his second goal for the national team.
Harry Maguire replaced Marc Guehi at half time and he was mercilessly booed by the crowd who revelled in the Manchester United man’s recent calamitous reputation.
Scotland were improved after the break and shocked the visitors after 67 minutes when Andy Robertson crossed the ball in only for Maguire to swing a leg at the ball only to deflect it past Ramsdale.
And Scotland suddenly had a chance to equalise but couldn’t take advantage as John McGinn headed a golden chance over the bar.
Instead England sent on the cavalry – Bukayo Saka and Ebereche Eze replaced Foden and Rashford after 72 minutes as Southgate looked to add energy to England whose intensity had dropped since the start of the second half.
And Eze was denied by Gunn after he was released by a great ball forward from Walker.
Harry Kane thought he had scored while Gunn saved from Bellingham as England upped the tempo after recovering from their setback.
But with 9 minutes to go Kane was not going to be denied again after Bellingham found him with a slide-rule pass under pressure from 2 defenders to leave Kane with an easy task to beat Gunn inside his back post – his 59th goal for England.
The assist also made Bellingham, who had a superb night, the first England player to score and assist in a game against Scotland since Kevin Keegan in 1979.
With the game a lot safer, Kane was replaced by Callum Wilson with 6 minutes to go while Bellingham was replaced by Conor Gallagher.