England 5-0 Czech Republic
The start of the latest adventure for England and, if this is a sign of things to come, what an adventure it could be.
Euro 2020 qualifying began with a comprehensive showing even Sbobet fans with an ardent England leaning may not have foreseen.
Much of the Euro 2020 qualifying news before kick-off surrounded injuries in the England camp – Marcus Rashford the latest to join a line of players withdrawing from the squad including Luke Shaw, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Yet it wasn’t a problem as players in white shirts stepped up to the mark to make England’s Euro 2020 qualifying betting odds extremely attractive.
Highlights of the game
One man led from the front – Man City frontman Raheem Sterling.
It took 24 minutes from him to break the deadlock at Wembley but once he did and captain Harry Kane netted from the penalty spot just before the break, the floodgates were open.
Kane had fed exciting young talent Jadon Sancho and he played an inviting ball into the path of Sterling who could not miss.
A minute before half-time Sterling went down in the box surrounded by two defenders.
In truth, it was a soft penalty but Kane didn’t need asking twice, clinically converting (despite the efforts of the unfortunate Czech goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka) to give England the lead their play merited.
England actually began the second half complacently but, against limited opposition, they made the game safe just beyond the hour mark.
A Kyle Walker pass took a deflection right into the path of Sterling who still had plenty to do but held off his marker and turned before confidently despatching number three.
It was number three for him soon afterwards with a shot which deflected in to complete his hat-trick – his final touch before being substituted to much acclaim.
A fine night for England and a miserable one for the visitors was complete six minutes from time when substitute debutant Callum Hudson-Odoi’s shot was palmed away by Pavlenka only to hit luckless defender Tomas Kalas and rebound into the net.
A performance littered with style and swagger, the only downside for the home side was an early injury to midfielder Eric Dier.
With a hectic month approaching, Spurs will hope it is not serious.
Key statistics
This was the first England hat-trick at Wembley since 2010 when Jermain Defoe netted a treble against Bulgaria.
Despite being yet to start a Premier League match for his club, Hudson-Odoi is the youngest player in the history of the England national team to win his first cap in a competitive match (18 years 135 days), breaking the record set by the great Duncan Edwards in April 1955.
England last hit five at home in a success against San Marino in October 2014.
Kane has scored 15 goals in his last 17 starts for the Three Lions, despite enduring a six-game drought in this run. He has also scored six penalties in a row.
Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho was the first Englishman to reach 10 assists in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
Sancho is the third youngest England player to start a competitive international at Wembley, behind Edwards (18 years 183 days) in 1955 and Michael Owen (18 years 300 days) in 1998.
This was the fourth match between England and Czech Republic and the Three Lions remain unbeaten with two victories and two draws.
England are unbeaten in their last 19 Euro qualifying matches (won 16, drawn three), winning the last 11 in a row. Their last such defeat came in November 2007 versus Croatia.
England have lost only one of their 16 home games under coach Gareth Southgate (won 11, drawn four), losing 2-1 against Spain in the Nations League.
Only Roy Hodgson (79.2%), Fabio Capello (76.2%) and Walter Winterbottom (69%) have better home win percentages for England than Southgate (66.7%).
England have lost just two of their last 24 home games in all competitions played in the month of March (won 16, drawn six, lost two), losing v Holland in 2016 (2-1) and Italy in 2002 (2-1).
Top of Form
Top of Form
What’s next?
England now travel to Montenegro for their second qualifier on Monday (March 25).
Then it’s the excitement of a Nations League semi-final against Holland in June and, possibly, a place in the final against reigning European champions Portugal or Switzerland.
Qualifying continues in September with home matches against Bulgaria and Kosovo.
The Czechs have a high-profile friendly coming up next week against the Samba boys of Brazil (March 26).
Qualifying resumes in June for them, also with home games against Bulgaria (June 7) and Montenegro (June 10).
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