Southgate reaction
Ben Fisher’s player ratings ...
Nick Ames on Raheem Sterling ...
And that’s all from me. Thanks for your company. Bye!
David Hytner has filed his match report, and here it is:
England have cut a swathe through their Euro 2020 qualifying group, advancing to the finals on the back of a run of free-scoring and expressive performances and, once again, they had too much for lowlier ranked opponents here.
It was a display of control from Gareth Southgate’s young team, which was marked by Harry Winks’s first-half goal – his first in an England shirt – and glossed by a late surge that showed how ruthless they can be when they find their connections.
Much more here:
Southgate is also asked about Raheem Sterling’s reintegration after last week’s kerfuffle. “You have to work through any difficulties that you might have,” he says. “The whole group have done that really well and I think we come out of this stronger than we started it frankly.”
Gareth Southgate has his post-match chat:
I think it was a tight game. It was a tough test for us really. A difficult pitch, in particular, lots of people slipping, but we needed a tighter game. It was the sort of challenge I was quite happy that we got. We had to withhold spells of pressure, gave them a few half-chances that on another night would have been more of a problem, but our counter-attacking was absolutely ruthless.
Alex [Oxlade-Chamberlain] has been a real plus with the power of his running, and the attacking threat he gives us. Harry Winks was excellent both games. He took the ball well in moments tonight when we needed calming. His ability to receive the ball under pressure and keep his calmness really settles the team.
The set plays in particular are something we need to have a look at. There have been too many people free in the box and chances given away. We’re always looking to improve, there’s still work to do, but I can’t fault the players with what they’ve done in this qualifying campaign.
England were not that great here, and the scoreline flatters them considerably. But there is some serious attacking talent in this squad, Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score a lovely goal and all was well. This has not been one of England’s all-time hardest qualifying groups, but it’s been won with ease.
Harry Kane is happy:
Difficult game. Difficult pitch. We’d already won the group so the mentality isn’t always easy to go again. We got 1-0 up, went through a few spells when they had a bit of pressure but we soaked it up and towards the end of the game, when space started to open up, we were clinical. It’s a clean sheet. We know we could improve, but tonight was difficult, the pitch was poor and it was hard to play, so there were always going to be mistakes. I don’t remember Pope making too many saves. Next time and when we play better teams, we’ve got to make sure we’re on it.
Harry Winks, one of two England players to score their first international goals today, has a chat:
It’s a dream come true to score for my country. It’s one I never really thought would happen, but to score the first goal was a great moment for me. I like to consider myself as someone who can be in the pivot or be a No8. The manager told me what he wanted from the role and I tried my best to deliver that. There’s always moments we need to improve on, but we were excellent today, and ruthless.
Czech Republic, runners-up in Group A, have a goal difference of +2. England’s is +31.
Final score: Kosovo 0-4 England
90+3 mins: And that’s it! England storm into the pot of Euro 2020’s top seeds with a comfortable win!
GOAL! Kosova 0-4 England (Mount, 90+1 mins)
And a farewell gift makes it four! Dresevic collects the ball from his goalkeeper, tries to take it round Kane and, at the worst possible moment, falls over. Kane taps it to Mount, who finishes in style!
Updated
90 mins: Rashford’s goal is his ninth in his last 10 appearances for club and country. He has brought some welcome pace and urgency to England’s forward line.
88 mins: In today’s other Group A game, Bulgaria are beating the Czech Republic 1-0. Vasil Bozhikov scored in the 56th minute, heading in from a free kick.
87 mins: Rashford collects a long ball and tricks his way past Aliti, but not past Kololli.
86 mins: Kane has now scored in each of his last six England games. It is only the second time since the Second World War that any England player has done this. The last one? A certain Harry Kane, between October 2017 and July 2018.
Updated
84 mins: England’s final substitution now, and Tomori has come on for Alexander-Arnold. He is playing at right back.
GOAL! Kosovo 0-3 England (Rashford, 83 mins)
And a third! Rashford passes infield to Sterling, who carries the ball towards the heart of the area before passing back to his left for Rashford, who curls it inside the far post with a first-time shot!
Updated
82 mins: Kosovo’s final change sees Rashani replace Nuhiu.
79 mins: England keep the ball for an absolute age, mostly in their own half. Then Mings dinks it upfield to Winks and suddenly the move changes pace. Rice drives forward before finding Sterling, and he outpaces Rachica on the right before sending in a cross that deflects off Aliti to leave Kane with a tap-in!
GOAL! Kosovo 0-2 England (Kane, 79 mins)
England make it safe!
Updated
75 mins: Chance for Kosovo! They break after an England free-kick, Rashica exchanges passes with Zhegrova and as he runs into the area Pope rushes out of goal prematurely and then also falls over, but Rice gets back to throw a foot in the way of the ball!
72 mins: A couple more changes. Mason Mount replaces Oxlade-Chamberlain for England, and Zhegrova replaces Hadergjonaj for Kosovo.
69 mins: Kosovo break, and a couple of nice passes release Hadergjonaj, who runs down the inside right channel before shooting. His effort though is both underpowered and poorly placed, and Pope saves.
67 mins: A nice run from Rashford, who speeds down the left, tricks his way into the area and then, having left two defenders on the turf, can’t decide whether to pass, shoot or keep running, and while he hesitates the ball is taken away from him.
65 mins: Kosovo make their first substitution, bringing Halimi on for Berisha.
61 mins: Save! And then England hit a post! They move down the left. Chilwell passes to Rashford, takes the ball back and shoots low across goal. Muric tips it wide, and Sterling catches the ball before it goes behind and pulls back to Kane, whose first-time effort crashes against the near post and away to safety!
59 mins: Eventually Kosovo fling a long ball onto Chilwell’s head, and he nods it down to Hudson-Odoi. The Chelsea winger runs all the way to the edge of Kosovo’s area without a hint of a challenge before shooting over. And that’s his last touch, with Marcus Rashford replacing him.
58 mins: “It has English hubris written all over it,” writes Philip Ritson of this game, as Kosovo pass the ball about a bit. “Too many changes, an unbalanced midfield, lacklustre start to the second half and the distraction of the Sterling/Gomez saga. Kosovo will win this 2:1.”
55 mins: England win a free kick on the left. This half they have only attacked from free kicks, and even then poorly. This one goes behind for a goal kick.
53 mins: Rrahmani totally fluffs a free header! He runs onto the ball, just beyond the far post, and with Pope completely exposed gets his effort completely wrong, the ball spinning well wide of goal. It’s turned behind for another corner, which is cleared.
52 mins: Another Kosovo corner. England haven’t got into this half at all.
50 mins: Close! The corner is headed clearish to Berisha, whose shot is going well wide before Rrahmani gets a touch to it, after which it goes much less wide! But still wide.
49 mins: Kosovo cross from the right, cross from the left and cross from the right again, without England dealing with any of it at all well. In the end Oxlade-Chamberlain shanks a clearance out of play for a corner.
48 mins: Kololli earns the day’s first booking for stopping Sterling from running onto a return pass from Oxlade-Chamberlain. The pass was anyway a bit overhit, so he probably wouldn’t have reached it anyway.
Updated
46 mins: The second half has begun.
The players are back out, with both teams unchanged. The second half is about to begin!
It has not been a memorable half of football. Winks and Rice are I fear not an ideal partnership in central midfield, and with Kosovo doing most of their attacking down the wings the latter hasn’t contributed a great deal. Perhaps a more offensive midfielder would help England a bit more in this game, even if it leaves the centre a little underdefended.
Half time: Kosovo 0-1 England
45 mins: England pass the ball about a bit as the seconds until half-time tick down, and after absolutely no stoppage time, the referee blows his whistle. England have the lead at the break!
43 mins: Mings’ back-pass is a bit wide of Pope, who is a bit slow to react, and Kosovo have a freebie corner.
42 mins: From just outside the area, Celina takes a touch to set himself and then shoots over the bar. “One of my best friends worked in an embassy in Pristina for a time - had nothing but good things to say about the lovely people in a country that’s looking to move forward,” writes Tom Hopkins. “In fact, she did some work with the Kosovo National Ballet and their main grumble was that every producer they brought in from elsewhere just wanted to do things about war.” Yes, that must be a frustration.
6 - @Alex_OxChambo has been directly involved in six goals in his last seven games for club and country (five goals, one assist); one more than in his previous 30 appearances across all competitions (one goal, four assists). Form. pic.twitter.com/s44kHPqvQJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 17, 2019
38 mins: A bit of wind appears to have gone out of the game’s sails since the goal. Sterling has shifted from the right to the left, with Hudson-Odoi moving in the other direction, and looks much happier for it.
35 mins: Hadergjonaj gets into a fine crossing position on the right, but curls the ball straight to Pope. They look a fine side in search of a cutting edge.
33 mins: Oxlade-Chamberlain feints to shoot but instead conjures a lovely pass to Winks, whose first touch is lovely. Dresevic looks well placed to make a challenge but instead he takes a step back and Winks can run into the area, convince Muric he’s about to shoot to his right, wait for him to commit and then shoot to the left!
GOAL! Kosovoa 0-1 England (Winks, 32 mins)
Suddenly, Kosovo’s til-now steadfast defence opens up, and England take the lead!
Updated
30 mins: Save! Berisha dances into England’s penalty area, and might have gone down when Sterling challenged. Instead he loses the ball, England break and in the end Hudson-Odoi dances into Kosovo’s penalty area, but when he eventually shoots Muric makes an easy save.
28 mins: Rice just fails to cut out a pass just outside Kosovo’s penalty area. Had he got a toe to it, it would have deflected to a lonely Kane in a very dangerous spot. Anyway, he didn’t. As you were.
26 mins: Another shot from long range, this from Dresevic, but it goes wide. Kosovo are probably shading this game at the moment, even if they don’t seem that interested in getting into England’s penalty area.
24 mins: Another shot! Rashica took it, and it was arrowing right into the corner, but it was from a shade over 30 yards so Pope had time to make the save.
23 mins: Kosovo win a corner, from which Rrahmani heads straight into a defender. In Sofia, the day’s other Group A game is also goalless.
22 mins: Sterling knocks the ball back to Alexander-Arnold and then sprints into the area after the chipped return pass, but Muric comes out to claim. There’s quite a lot of imprecision about both sides’ passing, probably because the pitch is not entirely reliable.
20 mins: Oxlade-Chamberlain brings Aliti down, revenge perhaps for the earlier foul he suffered. Or just an innocent bit of gentle kicking. Either way.
17 mins: Oxlade-Chamberlain is on the turf again, this time after losing his footing. He beats the earth again, but only in frustration.
15 mins: Chance for England! Chilwell picks up the ball in his own half and runs in a straight line down the left flank until level with the penalty spot, from where he crosses low to Kane. He controls and lays it back to Sterling, whose shot is saved by a diving Muric.
14 mins: Winks is seeing a lot of the ball. He feeds Sterling on England’s right, but the cross is overhit and bounces out for a throw-in.
Updated
12 mins: ...Muric comes out confidently to claim the ball when it arrives.
11 mins: Oxlade-Chamberlain is down again, this time because Aliti kicked his ankle. Alexander-Arnold will swing the ball into the area.
8 mins: The right flank has been a centre of sloppiness for England so far, with Sterling giving the ball away a couple of times, and now Alexander-Arnold doing so too.
7 mins: Save! A cross from the left, and Nuhiu beats Mings to the header - neither player bothering to jump - and heads goalwards, but Pope is well placed and stops it.
Updated
6 mins: A bit of gentle sparring to start the game, largely concentrated within 15 yards of the halfway line.
3 mins: He’s back up, and is playing on! After initially clutching a knee and beating the turf and generally looking very poorly, he recovered pretty quickly. Oxlade-Chamberlain has already had three serious knee injuries and appears thoroughly likeable, so that was a heart-in-mouth moment as well as a knee-in-hands one.
Updated
2 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain is down, and hurt!
1 min: A shot! It’s taken Kosovo 28 seconds, but Hadergjonaj’s 20-yarder is weak and easily stopped by Pope.
1 min: Peeeeeep! The home side get the game started!
They have sung their anthems. A violinist has blatantly mimed to Kosovo’s. And we’re almost ready for action!
The players are in the tunnel! It’s very, very white in there. The floor is white. The ceiling is white. The walls are white. England are dressed all in white.
England continue to deal with a deluge of praise, thanks and general appreciation as kick-off approaches:
Stadium announcer in Pristina: "We always appreciate your support in the most difficult days... 20 years on, we are here as equals. Thank you England, god bless you England" #KOSENG
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) November 17, 2019
Updated
Gareth Southgate has a chat, firstly about Kosovo and the welcome England have experienced there:
Incredible. We had a bit of a heads-up on that, but yeah, it’s a massive occasion for Kosovo and we’ve got to be prepared for that on the pitch. They didn’t play so well at the weekend so there’ll be a reaction from that, and obviously we’re a big scalp.
He talks about the game as “a chance to have a bit of a look at a couple of players we need to have a closer look at before the summer”, with Nick Pope and Callum Hudson-Odoi on trial today. But he says he also “wanted to get a balance today of some consistency from what we did in the last game”, hence keeping the same full-backs.
I think it’s fair to say that this is not the reception England are used to receiving when they play away:
The Kosovo manager, Bernard Challandes, seems quite impressed by this England team:
We know exactly against who we will play and we have seen in the last game and all this campaign, England has the best potential offensive in the world now. For me, it’s the first favourite for the next European Championship, with this offensive potential. It’s an advantage for us to play here. There’s a big, big enthusiasm behind the team. People are very proud of the team. Unfortunately we have only 13,000 spectators, but I think the players of Kosovo have a good feeling with the support, and that can help, particularly today. We never lost here, but we never played against such a team as England also.
A peek inside the Kosovo dressing room suggests that they are partial to the occasional biscuit:
Here’s a handy Kosovan line-up with bonus formation:
#Kosovo's official starting line-up against @England.#KOSENG 🇽🇰🏴 pic.twitter.com/wy6JiqQFhd
— Kosovan Football 🇽🇰 (@kosovanfooty_EN) November 17, 2019
In case you’ve already forgotten September’s Wembley goalfest between these sides, here’s a reminder:
Kosovo’s line-up: Muric, Hadergjonaj, Aliti, Rashica, Celina, Rrahmani, V Berisha, Vojvoda, Kololli, Dresevic, Nuhiu.
England’s team is in, and it looks like this: Pope, Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, Mings, Chilwell, Winks, Rice, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hudson-Odoi, Sterling, Kane.
The team is in! Here’s how the #ThreeLions line up for tonight’s #EURO2020 qualifier against Kosovo: pic.twitter.com/12vzg28nzT
— England (@England) November 17, 2019
Hello world!
And so, for Euro 2020 Qualifying Group A, it ends. The group’s final two games kick off at 5pm GMT, but already we know that Kosovo will finish in third place, the Czech Republic in second and England first, with the only uncertainty being whether Bulgaria, who host the Czechs in Sofia, can get the point they need to climb off the foot of the table at Montenegro’s expense. But thanks to Uefa’s merry if mightily confusing bonus extra qualifying play-off bonanza stage both Bulgaria and Kosovo (because of their performances in the Nations League) will have another chance, whatever happens to them today, and Montenegro will thus be the only team from the group to actually be eliminated at the end of it, even if they don’t finish bottom of it.
So, that’s cleared that up.
Thus nothing of great significance rests on this game. But Gareth Southgate was right to say in the build-up that “seeding could be crucial”, and England need to win to guarantee that they will be in the top group of seeds for the Euro 2020 final tournament draw (5pm GMT on Saturday 30 November, diary fans), which would probably make their progress through the tournament a great deal smoother, and as an added bonus would guarantee that they play all their group games at Wembley.
Happily, Kosovo is one of the rare corners of Europe that does not yet dislike the British, and something akin to a carnival atmosphere is expected at the Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri in Pristina (Fadil Vokrri was a fine footballer and later president of the Kosovan FA, who died last year aged 57). Here’s a Nick Ames story on that special relationship:
And here’s David Hytner’s big match team news update and preview thingy:
