Harry Kane marked his 100th England appearance with a brace as England secured a 2-0 victory over Finland in the UEFA Nations League.
The Bayern Munich forward had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half before finding the back of the net twice in the second half to guide Lee Carsley’s team to their second consecutive win as interim manager.
Match Recap
England dominated the early stages of the game, with Bukayo Saka involved in a goal-mouth scramble just four minutes in. However, it took them 20 minutes to register their first shot on target, with Kane’s fierce strike being saved by Lukas Hradecky.
Kane thought he had opened the scoring with a diving header shortly after, but it was ruled out for offside.
Although Finland had a rare chance with Topi Keskinen testing Jordan Pickford, they failed to capitalize on it. Saka and Trent Alexander-Arnold came close for England, but the first half ended goalless.
Kane broke the deadlock in the second half with a thunderous strike from outside the box that rattled the crossbar before finding the net. He then doubled his tally with a well-placed curling shot, sealing the win for England.
GK: Jordan Pickford – 6/10 – Quick off his line but had little to do throughout the match.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 9/10 – Provided creativity and quality passes, assisting Kane’s goals and influencing the game positively.
CB: Ezri Konsa – 6/10 – Looked shaky at times but was solid overall before being substituted.
CB: John Stones – 6/10 – Distributed the ball well and helped maintain pressure on Finland.
LB: Rico Lewis – 7/10 – Impressed with his performance on the left flank, contributing both defensively and offensively.
DM: Declan Rice – 6/10 – Struggled at times but improved in the second half to provide stability in midfield.
DM: Angel Gomes – 8/10 – Controlled the midfield with composure and energy, making a significant impact on the game.
RM: Bukayo Saka – 7/10 – Dangerous in attack and provided width, although his final ball was sometimes lacking.
AM: Jack Grealish – 7/10 – Displayed intelligence in his passing and playmaking, contributing to England’s attacking threat.
LM: Anthony Gordon – 7/10 – Started brightly and remained a threat throughout the game, especially in the first half.
ST: Harry Kane – 8/10 – Showed his quality with two well-taken goals, making a significant impact on the result.
Substitutes
SUB: Levi Colwill (61′ for Konsa) – 6/10
SUB: Noni Madueke (66′ for Saka) – 7/10
SUB: Ebere Eze (66′ for Gordon) – 6/10
SUB: Marc Guehi (80′ for Guehi) – N/A
SUB: Jarrod Bowen (80′ for Kane) – N/A
Subs not used: Dean Henderson (GK), Nick Pope (GK), Harry Maguire, Tino Livramento, Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Gibbs-White
Manager’s Rating
Lee Carsley – 7/10 – Managed the team well, with England clearly superior. His tactical decisions and trust in certain players paid off in the end.