England vs North Macedonia LIVE: Result and reaction from Euro 2024 qualifier as Bukayo Saka nets hat-trick
England 7-0 North Macedonia: Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick was the icing on the cake for ruthless England
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Your support makes all the difference.England earned another win in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a ruthless display against North Macedonia at Old Trafford. The visitors had never lost in England and for 20 minutes looked up to the task of keeping the Three Lions quiet despite the gulf in quality.
Harry Kane’s opener, turned in from a Luke Shaw pass, opened the floodgates and Gareth Southgate’s men feasted on a plethora of chances. No more so than Bukayo Saka, the brightest rising star of England’s next cohort. He opened his own account with a fine twist and finish inside the box before adding two more after half-time to earn a first career hat-trick.
He is forming a cut-throat partnership with Trent Alexander-Arnold, once again pushed into midfield, which could become the foundation stone of Southgate’s next European Championship campaign.
There were impressive performances elsewhere too. Marcus Rashford was a constant threat on the left and became the first Mancheser United player to score for England at Old Trafford since David Beckham. He made a strong case to start ahead of Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling tonight and there was also a first international goal for substitute Kalvin Phillips who was left with a tap-in inside the box.
Relive all the action as England battered North Macedonia at Old Trafford:
HT England 3-0 North Macedonia
Marcus Rashford is the first Manchester United player to score for England at Old Trafford since David Beckham against Sweden in November 2001.
HT England 3-0 North Macedonia
Harry Kane has scored at least once in 21 of his last 22 major tournament qualifying games for England (World Cup/Euros), netting 30 goals overall in those matches.
Half-time: England 3-0 North Macedonia
45+3 mins: The whistle goes to signal another brilliant half for England. Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford are all in the goals and England look on course for a fourth straight Euro 2024 qualifying victory.
GOAL! England 3-0 North Macedonia (Rashford, 45’)
45 mins: Marcus Rashford makes it three and has an England goal at Old Trafford.
Jordan Henderson presses high up the pitch and nicks the ball off Stefan Ristovski. He combines in a one-two with Harry Kane before slotting it square to Rashford who taps it home.
England 2-0 North Macedonia
41 mins: England midfielder Declan Rice wins the ball in a tight tackle against Eljif Elmas and follows through onto the midfielder’s ankle.
He looks dumbfounded by the decision from the referee to show him a yellow card but it’s a fair cop.
GOAL! England 2-0 North Macedonia (Saka, 38’)
38 mins: Quality from England.
Trent Alexander-Arnold receives the ball on the edge of the box and slips it to Kyle Walker who’s bombing forward on the overlap.
Walker passes it inside to Bukayo Saka who spins and fizzes a shot into the back of the net with his weaker foot.
England 1-0 North Macedonia
35 mins: North Macedonia have responded nicely to the goal. They’ve had a few periods of possession though they haven’t been able to trouble the England defence.
England 1-0 North Macedonia
32 mins: Bukayo Saka brings the ball into the box from the right and flicks it over to Marcus Rashford on the opposite side of the pitch. Rashford keeps it in play and pulls a pass across the penalty area.
Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane are waiting but the hits Henderson and bounces wide of the goal.
GOAL! England 1-0 North Macedonia (Kane, 29’)
29 mins: England are in front! Jordan Henderson floats the ball out to Marcus Rashford on the left wing. He draws out a couple of defending then picks out Luke Shaw’s underlapping run.
Shaw pulls the ball back to Harry Kane to simply turns it home!
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