England v Finland LIVE: Nations League result as Harry Kane scores twice on 100th appearance
England 2-0 Finland: Two goals from the captain were enough for Lee Carsley’s team to secure a second win of the autumn international break
England continued their winning streak under interim manager Lee Carsley as they backed up their victory over the Republic of Ireland with a 2-0 win against Finland at Wembley.
The Three Lions impressed in the first half in Dublin with a free-flowing and agressive style of play but here they were frustrated trying to break through a low block though Anthony Gordon was a bright spark on the left side especially when combining with Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis.
Harry Kane, making his 100th appearance for England tonight, thought he’d opened the scoring with a fine header from Bukayo Saka’s cross but the goal was chalked off for offside resulting in a goalless first 45 minutes.
But, Kane broke the deadlock with a blistering second half strike. He added a second after being fed the ball in the box by substitute Noni Madueke and capped off a night to remember with another superb win.
Relive all the updates from the Nations League match between England and Finland below.
HT England 0-0 Finland
Harry Kane is now the 10th player to win 100 caps for the England men’s national team, and first to hit that milestone since Wayne Rooney in November 2014.
HT England 0-0 Finland
Jack Grealish has been named in the starting XI in consecutive England games for the first time since June 2021 (v Austria and Romania).
HT England 0-0 Finland
Half-time! England 0-0 Finland
45+1 mins: An entertaining 45 minutes at Wembley but no goals and room for improvement from the hosts. Lee Carsley will want more intensity and more threat in the final third.
All to play for in the second half.
England 0-0 Finland
44 mins: England win a free kick right on the edge of the penalty area. Trent Alexander-Arnold stands over the ball and whips it towards the far top corner.
The shot is decent but there’s not enough curl and the ball flies wide of the post.
England 0-0 Finland
41 mins: Close! Trent Alexander-Arnold flicks the ball over the top and plays Bukayo Saka into the box. Saka cuts onto his right foot and looks for the pass but a deflection takes the ball out to Rico Lewis.
Lewis is encouraged to shoot by the crowd but sends it over to Alexander-Arnold instead. He does goe for goal and drills a low effort agonisingly wide of the far post!
England 0-0 Finland
38 mins: England have been building up play nicely this evening. They’re passing it quick and have plenty of speedy willing runners. The tempo isn’t what Lee Carsley would like though, it’s quite slow at times.
England 0-0 Finland
35 mins: Chance!
Alexander-Arnold laces a corner over to Kane who brings it down with a one-touch past to Saka outside the box. Saka darts to the left then rattles off a shot that continues to rise and flies over the crossbar!
England 0-0 Finland
33 mins: Incredible from Artts Hoskonen!
Bukayo Saka makes a dart into the penalty area and is fed the ball. He drills it across the six-yard area were Harry Kane is waiting for a tap-in.
Hoskonen, the Finnish centre-back, turns back towards his own goal and leaps for the ball, stretchering out a leg to turn it wide of the post just before it reaches Kane.
Great defending.
Richard Jolly reporting from Wembley:
“Quite a sedate start at Wembley, certainly for the first 20 minutes. Harry Kane has come into it more in the last few, with a shot saved and a goal disallowed.
“England are looking a bit too open when Finland break, particularly Topi Keskinen, who has had a couple of opportunities. So far, certainly not as good a first half as it was against Ireland.”
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