England vs Malta LIVE: Euro 2024 result and highlights after Three Lions win at Wembley
England 2-0 Malta: Gareth Southgate’s side are still unbeaten in Group C though they struggled against a stubborn Malta team
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Your support makes all the difference.England ensured a top seeding at Euro 2024 with a laboured 2-0 home victory against Group C makeweights Malta that will not live long in the memory of an underwhelmed Wembley crowd.
Until the 75th minute all that separated Gareth Southgate’s lacklustre side from 171st-ranked Malta was an early own goal by Enrico Pepe and they endured some anxious moments in between.
Captain Harry Kane finally doubled England’s lead with his 62nd goal for his country after good work by Bukayo Saka before Declan Rice had an effort ruled out for offside.
There was precious little to get enthused about though as several England fringe players wasted the chance to make a statement of intent to Southgate.
England had already qualified for next year’s finals in Germany and victory over Malta ensured they will win Group C, regardless of what happens in North Macedonia on Monday.
Relive the action from the Euro 2024 qualifiers plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
England 1-0 Malta
54 mins: The referee is not interested in giving England penalties.
Marcus Rashford dances aroung Joseph Mbong before threading the ball through the legs of Steve Borg. He looks to skip behind the Malta captain but he grabs Rashford’s shirt, holds him off then sandwiches him into the back tracking Mbong.
Rashford goes to the floor but the referee lets play go on.
England 1-0 Malta
51 mins: Phil Foden swings the ball into the box from the corner and finds Harry Maguire. The England defender gets a head to the ball but can’t generate enough power to beat goalkeeper Henry Bonello.
England 1-0 Malta
48 mins: Kieran Trippier has been shifted out to the left side of the pitch with Walker slotting in at right-back. Marcus Rashford receives the ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
He takes on the Maltese defence, drives into the box and wins a corner.
Second half! England 1-0 Malta
Gareth Southgate has made a couple of changes at the break. Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka have come on to replace Conor Gallagher and Fikayo Tomori.
It’s an aggressive change which should bring some pace and speed into proceedings.
HT England 1-0 Malta
England had just two shots in the first half against Malta, neither of which were on target.
It’s the first time England have failed to record a single shot on target in the first half of a home international since November 2017 in a friendly against Germany.
Half-time! England 1-0 Malta
45+1 mins: The first 45 minutes comes to an end. England have the lead but it’s been far from a positive display for Gareth Southgate’s side.
They seem disjointed and lacking in energy. When they play the ball quickly, they’re dangerous but Malta have hung in there brilliantly and only an own goal separates the teams.
England 1-0 Malta
42 mins: Harry Kane brings down an aerial ball and swiftly rolls it out wide for Marcus Rashford. Rashford takes on Joseph Mbong who manages to get the ball and prod it out for a corner.
Phil Foden swings the ball into the middle where a bunch of argy bargy forces the referee to blow his whistle and award a free kick to Malta.
England 1-0 Malta
39 mins: Conor Gallagher nips around Matthew Guillaumier and looks to sprint up the pitch. The Maltese midfielder tries to recover and clips Gallagher’s heels bringing him down and earning himself a yellow card.
England 1-0 Malta
36 mins: England have lacked a cutting edge in the final third. Foden and Alexander-Arnold are working hard to feed the ball into small pockets and get it up to the edge of the box but there’s been little in the way of real chances at goal.
Rashford is taken out on the left edge of the area but doesn’t win a free kick. The ball goes out for a corner though and gets whipped straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.
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