England 2-0 Malta: Euro 2024 qualifying as it happened | Euro 2024 qualifying

FULL TIME: England 2-0 Malta

England get the job done in style.

David Hytner was at Wembley, and his report has landed. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Southgate on Trent Alexander-Arnold: “He used the ball really well … he’s got outstanding quality … him and Phil [Foden] in the first half were the two that really looked like opening them up … Marc Guehi looked very calm … the changes brought some quality as well … in the second half we could have scored more but they don’t really lose by fives and sixes … they get a lot of men back … we obviously didn’t create as many chances as I’d have liked to.”

Gareth Southgate speaks to Channel 4. “It was a game that we didn’t start well, and I’ve been in football a long time, if you don’t start well it’s hard to pick the game up … we got a goal out of nothing … the quality on the ball is not normally at that level … the players knew we could win the game at a canter and we didn’t extend ourselves as we normally would … they’ve played so many matches and done such a brilliant job, I’m not going to hammer them for that … we know we should be better … it was one of those days when we really didn’t get going.”

The other match in Group C has ended Italy 5-2 North Macedonia. Stephan El Shaarawy scored very late to make the scoreline look less hairy than it was for the Italians, who nearly let a three-goal lead slip, their scar tissue from 2022’s World Cup debacle showing. That means a point in Ukraine on Monday night will suffice for the reigning European champions … though defeat would cashier the Azzurri into the play-offs, and Italy don’t like those at all. Huge night on Monday coming up, then. Group winners England meanwhile travel to North Macedonia, looking for the win that would ensure their ball goes into pot one for the Euro 2024 draw, taking goal difference out of the equation.

1. England 19pts
2. Italy 13pts
3. Ukraine 13pts
4. North Macedonia 7pts
5. Malta 0pts

To be fair to England, they’d put in the hard yards by winning home and away against Italy. But without their effervescent golden boy Jude Bellingham, they lacked drive and verve this evening. Tonight’s scoreline doesn’t flatter Malta at all; you could make an argument for it seriously flattering England, though. Still, a win’s a win’s a win. There’s not a great deal more to say.

FULL TIME: England 2-0 Malta

England get the job done in style.

90 min +5: England are seeing this out with some dull possession football, which kind of says it all. But it is 11 wins in 14.

90 min +3: Maguire can’t head it goalwards and Malta clear. Meanwhile, Giacomo Raspadori has settled Italian nerves with a fourth against North Macedonia. It’s 4-2 in Rome.

90 min +2: Palmer dribbles in from the left flank, knocking the ball past Attard and nearly working space to shoot from a tight angle. He has to make do with a corner, which Foden will take.

90 min: There will be six extra minutes. A few groans from the home fans, who are sick of making paper aeroplanes and now just want to go home.

89 min: Foden bustles down the left and is brought to a juddering halt by two questionable challenges. He takes the free kick himself, but fails to beat the first man. Malta clear. A third goal would be unfair on them. They’ve delivered beyond all expectation tonight.

88 min: Alexander-Arnold has a rake from distance. The ball swerves around all over the place, and Bonello does pretty well to parry clear, albeit in a slightly unconventional style.

87 min: Kane slips a pass down the right for Walker. He pulls back for Rice, who sticks out a leg but can only send the ball rolling apologetically wide right of the target.

85 min: Malta make their final change, sending on Cain Attard for Joseph Mbong.

83 min: Joseph Mbong slips a clever ball down the right channel for Yankam, who only just clears the bar with his first-time shot from the edge of the box. Meanwhile in the other match in this group, Italy are making a Big Night-sized meal of it against North Macedonia, who have pulled the score back to 3-2 thanks to a couple of Jani Atanasov goals.

81 min: “I guess I’m a better motivator than expected,” writes Joe Pearson.

80 min: Malta make a double change, switching out Reid and Jean Borg for Zach Muscat and Kyrian Nwoko.

NO GOAL! England 2-0 Malta

Park that second London bus! There had been just 93 seconds between the goals … but Rice’s effort has been ruled out. Kane had got himself in the road between keeper and shooter, and the scoreboard clicks back to 2-0.

GOAL! England 3-0 Malta (Rice 76)

In London-bus news, another goal comes along almost immediately. Rice strides down the inside-left channel. He sends Steve Borg off for a copy of the Standard with a drop of the shoulder, glides infield, opens his body, and whips into the bottom right. Unstoppable!

GOAL! England 2-0 Malta (Kane 75)

Walker slips a pass down the inside-right for Foden, who lays it off to Saka. A low cross. Kane flips home from six yards, he can’t miss. Better from England, but Kane has the good grace not to celebrate too wildly.

74 min: England continue to stroll around. “Southgate should have picked a squad of Championship players,” writes Joe Pearson. “They’d bring intensity and would probably be up 4-0. Dreadful.”

72 min: England stroke it around to no effect whatsoever. This is all a bit grim.

70 min: … and now some more high amusement as the assistant referee’s flag falls off its stick, and the fourth official races on at great speed to help him fix it. Wembley making its own fun in lieu of the home team contributing anything.

69 min: Bored fans are flinging paper aeroplanes onto the pitch. One particularly fine vessel sails into the centre, causing great cheer. It’s been that sort of evening.

67 min: Foden nudges the free kick inches to the right for Alexander-Arnold, who blazes a wild shot high and wide right. Bonello still hasn’t been required to get his shirt dirty.

66 min: Foden feeds Palmer down the inside-left channel, and the latter’s fast feet earns a free kick just to the left of the D. Alexander-Arnold, Trippier and Foden all fancy this. They have a pow-wow as they prepare to work Bonello at long last.

64 min: Saka makes a nuisance of himself down the right. Malta half clear. The ball drops to Alexander-Arnold, who sends a shot straight at Bonello from 25 yards. Easy for the keeper, but it’s England’s first shot on target this evening, so baby steps.

63 min: Malta ping it around the back with confidence. England press to little effect.

61 min: England make two more changes of their own. Rashford can’t continue, while Henderson departs to ironic cheers. On come Declan Rice and, making his England debut, Cole Palmer.

59 min: As Rashford recovers, Malta make a double change, replacing Guillaumier and Paul Mbong with Bjorn Kristensen and Jodi Jones of Notts County.

58 min: Rashford busies himself down the inside-right channel but can’t get a shot away from a tight angle. He then accidentally runs into Alexander-Arnold and winds himself. On comes the physio.

57 min: Alexander-Arnold slips a cute pass down the inside-right channel for Saka, who for a second looks good for a shot. But he takes a heavy touch and has to settle for a corner, from which nothing comes. That was better from England, though, a lively combination nearly opening Malta up.

55 min: Channel 4 co-commentator Dion Dublin thinks that was a penalty as well, but is now just pandering to the more credulous members of the audience.

53 min: Rashford bustles into the box down the left then nutmegs Steve Borg, but the Malta captain turns and holds a firm line, refusing to allow the England striker to nip around him. Rashford falls in his attempt to clamber over the defender, and though there’s a half-hearted shout for a penalty, nobody’s really convinced, least of all the referee.

52 min: Trippier anticipates Guillaumier’s crossfield pass and tears off with the ball down the left. He tries to release Rashford into the box but neither pass nor run is up to scratch. Goal kick, and a few sighs of discontent.

50 min: Rashford picks up the pace down the inside-left channel and wins England a corner. Foden takes. Maguire wins a header, albeit not in a particularly clean style, and the looping ball falls gently into the arms of Bonello.

49 min: Foden has moved into the centre of midfield after the withdrawal of Gallagher and the arrival of Saka. “I’ve just seen a replay of that challenge on Kane, and he did the professional’s thing of knocking the ball to the side and then keeping his left foot in to be taken out by the goalkeeper,” writes Andy ‘Not that one’ Flintoff. “He certainly knew what he was doing, and was trying to win a penalty, although with 61 goals (and umpteen for Bayern Munich this season), I’m not sure why he decided to do that rather than shoot.”

47 min: Maguire’s been fairly free and easy with possession this evening. Once again he gives the ball away cheaply with a loose pass out from the back. Malta can’t take advantage of the error. Meanwhile here’s Oli Pearce: “First England game for my son Luca and me, and as dual nationals we’re a bit conflicted. Malta have been surprisingly good, England shockingly mediocre. Secretly rooting for our plucky underdogs but frankly a shot on target by either team would do right now.”

England get the second half underway. Gallagher and Tomori have made way for Walker and Saka. Incidentally, in the other Group C game, Italy are 3-0 up at half-time against North Macedonia. Matteo Darmian opened the scoring after 17 minutes, then Federico Chiesa notched a quickfire double just before the break. Jorginho missed a penalty.

Half-time entertainment. With apologies to the Malta fans among us tonight.

HALF TIME: England 1-0 Malta

Malta have been excellent; England, not so much. Had Teddy Teuma scored on 28 seconds, as he so nearly did, the mood in Wembley could be very different.

45 min: There will be one added minute. Old-school.

44 min: Not for the first time this evening, Gallagher misplaces a simple pass. He’s been excellent for Chelsea recently; he’s not been on it so far tonight.

42 min: Kane’s presence wins England a corner out on the left. Foden hoicks it into the mixer. Kane clatters into Pepe and the whistle goes for a free kick. Kane’s getting a little frustrated right now. At the moment: Malta > Darmstadt. Malta > Borussia Dortmund.

41 min: Gallagher and Henderson conspire to confuse each other in the centre circle. Malta snaffle possession and stream forward. Teuma crosses from the left and England are fortunate that Maguire is on point to head clear with Paul Mbong and Reid hovering around.

39 min: Maguire clears Teuma’s corner, and England break. Gallagher is hacked down by Guillaumier, who becomes the second Malta player to go into the referee’s book. From the resulting free kick, Foden probes down the right and cuts back for Alexander-Arnold, who leans back and sends the ball miles over the bar.

37 min: Rashford wins a corner down the left. Foden delivers the set piece straight down Bonello’s throat. Malta go up the other end, and Camenzuli wins a corner off Tomori.

36 min: For what it’s worth, Channel 4 co-commentator Dion Dublin is utterly convinced England should have had a penalty. In other news, England still haven’t had shot on target yet.

34 min: Alexander-Arnold tries to release Kane down the inside right with a long quarterback sling. Too long. Bonello claims. “England are superior to the opposition and they know it,” begins Ben Bronx. “They’ll probably win the game comfortably but it’s disappointing to see the lack of energy in this team. They are aware minimal effort should result in a win and it looks like they are happy to play at a snails pace. Apart from the freak own goal Malta have had the best chances of the game so far.”

32 min: That decision was a proper cricket-style umpire’s call. Had it been called the other way, nobody could/should have complained either. Super slow-mo may make a fool of all of us, of course. Anyway, here we are now, and Kane is buzzing around fuelled by righteous indignation. If he wasn’t already desirous of a goal, he clearly is now.

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