England extended their flawless record in the Euro 2024 qualifiers with a comfortable victory over Malta. The match, held at Malta’s Ta’Qali National Stadium, saw England dominate against the 172nd-ranked team according to FIFA.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, usually a Liverpool full-back but deployed in central midfield for this game, opened the scoring with an impressive strike from 25 yards.
In addition to Alexander-Arnold’s goal, England benefited from an own goal by Ferdinando Apap and converted penalties by Harry Kane and Callum Wilson.
Under the guidance of manager Gareth Southgate, the English side encountered little resistance as they cruised to victory.
Their next challenge awaits them on Monday against North Macedonia. England’s qualifying campaign for next summer’s tournament in Germany is progressing smoothly, with nine points secured from three matches, placing them six points ahead of Ukraine, North Macedonia, and reigning champions Italy.
The encounter at the Ta’Qali National Stadium saw England seal all three points within the first 31 minutes. Ferdinando Apap inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, followed by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exceptional long-range strike.
Just over a minute and a half after Alexander-Arnold’s goal, Harry Kane extended England’s lead to 3-0 from the penalty spot after being fouled by Matthew Guillaumier.
This marked Kane’s 50th competitive goal for England and continued his remarkable streak of scoring in 11 consecutive Euro qualifiers.
Kane was substituted in the second half, allowing Callum Wilson to step up and convert another penalty when his cross was handled by Malta captain Steve Borg. The penalty was awarded following a VAR review.
Meanwhile, France secured their third victory in the Euro 2024 qualifiers by defeating Gibraltar. Olivier Giroud, with his 54th international goal, headed in an early opener from a cross by Kingsley Coman.
Kylian Mbappe doubled France’s lead by successfully converting a penalty after a handball, and Aymen Mouelhi inadvertently deflected Mbappe’s cross into his own net for an own goal.
During the match in the Algarve, Aurelien Tchouameni and Antoine Griezmann both hit the woodwork for Les Bleus.
Goalkeeper, Brice Samba had a straightforward international debut for France, as he did not need to make a single save throughout the game.
France’s victory over Gibraltar marked their third consecutive win in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.