England vs Czech Republic. UEFA Nations League Group A3. Report as England beat Czech Republic 3-0 in their final Nations League match of the lengthy international break; Harry Kane equalled Peter Shilton’s England appearance record and got two goals and an assist on his 125th cap; Vladimir Coufal scored a comical own goal at Wembley Harry Kane marked his record-equalling 125th cap with a sensational display as he led England to a 3-0 win over Czech Republic at Wembley. The England captain’s century and a quarter of caps is now level with Peter Shilton’s all-time record that stood for 36 years – and it was a fitting display as he was involved in every single goal on the night.
Kane set up the first – his versatility to peel off to the right wing was rewarded as his cross was comically put into his own net by Czech defender Vladimir Coufal. Wembley almost unanimously laughed at the former West Ham man as the replays were shown on screen. And Kane’s moment came five minutes before half-time, as a sumptuous move involving Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers resulted in the latter crossing for his captain – who had all the time and space to finish. It wouldn’t be long until Kane sought to double his tally after the break.
He struck the bar from distance but he eventually made it three when he headed Lewis Hall’s delivery into the bottom corner at the far post. Thomas Tuchel’s England end the lengthy international break with three wins from four and 14 goals to show for it. Even though Spain beat Croatia 2-1 with a late comeback win to lead the group, England are all-but assured of a quarter-final spot anyway – needing one point from their last two games to qualify. But this was Kane’s night.
No hat-trick for him as he was taken off with 10 minutes left – but he’s now passed the 90-mark for international goals. He wants a century of goals to add to his appearance – and he’s definitely going to get it. 5: CLOSE! Alexander-Arnold whips a free-kick over the Czech wall and it’s tipped away by Hornicek. 27: OWN GOAL! Kane’s cross is put into his own net comically by Coufal, who was under no pressure as he tried to clear. 30: OVER!
Anderson misses a great chance to double England’s lead but blazes over. 40: GOAL! Kane gets the goal on his big night as Anderson chips the ball over for Rogers down the right, who finds the England captain with acres of space to smash home. 54: OFF THE BAR! Kane is denied a second as his effort from the edge of the box clips the bar after great work from Myles Lewis-Skelly to start the free-flowing attack. 56: NEARLY! Rogers crosses for Bellingham whose deft flick is smartly denied by goalkeeper Hornicek. 57: GOAL!
Kane heads in Hall’s corner to double his tally on England’s special night. 81: KANE OFF! The England captain is substituted for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, getting a standing ovation from Wembley. It won’t be his last. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player “It’s right up there.
There’s so many milestones throughout my career, looking back to my England debut and how much of a dream come true that was, I think this is even beyond my wildest dreams.To be now at 125, it’s just an extreme privilege. “I love coming to every England camp, I love playing in every game and representing the country in the best way possible. Tonight was a special night. “The most important thing was the victory and the win.
It’s not about me, it’s about the team. To help the team achieve it with a couple of goals and a good team performance and finish the week strong, it’s been a perfect night for me.” Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player England head coach Thomas Tuchel: “Yeah of course and it’s what we have to do.That is our goal, to constantly improve and develop. We have these experiences together and we had a big tournament together and it was still very positive and still it’s necessary to move forward and to improve, especially in sports. And this is what we’re trying to do.
“We adjusted some details in our structure and we didn’t compromise on the effort and the intensity and on the togetherness of the team. “The players who were with us in the World Cup, they took care of these standards and of the culture within the team, off the pitch and on the pitch. And I think that’s what you could see and you just could see the positive on a long camp is that you have time for debriefs, that you have time for meetings, you have more time for training, you spend more time together.” Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz at Wembley: This is Harry Kane’s night, no doubt about it. But has Thomas Tuchel earned back a few more fans after this lengthy international camp?
Fourteen goals in four games against decent opposition. Croatia, Spain and Czech Republic are major tournament regulars. There’s a bit more clarity in certain England positions. Alexander-Arnold and Hall have had very good camps – when so many questioned whether they were right for this level.
When was the last time England had two fixed, natural right-backs? Jude Bellingham looks up for it and all the headlines for him are positive again. Anderson, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Alex Scott have added depth to midfield. And Kane keeps on doing the business.
This set-up is built for him to thrive in. Are England back? Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.
