England beat Czechia 3-0 at Wembley on Tuesday night, 6 October, with Harry Kane scoring twice on the night he drew level with Peter Shilton’s record of 125 England caps. The win, in front of a crowd of about 78,000, left Thomas Tuchel’s side second in Nations League Group A3 and close to sealing a place in the knockout rounds, the Football Association said.
It was the last of England’s four games in this international window, and the cleanest.
An own goal opens it up
England had most of the ball from the start and spent the early part of the night shooting from distance. Trent Alexander-Arnold forced Lukáš Horníček to tip a 25-yard free-kick round the post, and Elliot Anderson blazed over from range.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute. Kane was sent clear down the right and whipped a low cross across the six-yard box. Eberechi Eze had stopped his run, but Vladimír Coufal did not know that, and the Czech defender slid in and turned the ball into his own net.
Anderson should have made it two almost straight away, lifting Morgan Rogers’ lay-off over the bar from the penalty spot. He made up for it before half-time. His long ball over the Czech back line found Rogers, whose bobbling cross reached Kane unmarked in the box, and the captain finished from close range in the 40th minute.
Kane’s record night
Kane nearly had a third in spectacular style early in the second half. Myles Lewis-Skelly turned his way out of a crowd in midfield, the move broke forward, and Kane’s shot clipped the top of the crossbar.
He did not have to wait long. Jude Bellingham’s flick was blocked for a corner, Lewis Hall swung it in, and Kane rose at the near post to head in his second in the 57th minute.
Those were his 90th and 91st goals for England. He has now scored six in four games this window, and he has scored in seven straight matches for club and country. He went off to a standing ovation with eight minutes left, replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Czechia barely threatened
Czechia managed five shots all night and none on target, against England’s 17. Their best moments were an early Alex Král effort that went wide, a Roman Macek shot from range that never troubled Jordan Pickford, and a late Adam Hložek volley that flew wide. Tuchel used the closing stages to give minutes to Rio Ngumoha and Jarrad Branthwaite.
Where it leaves England
The result follows a 2-0 win in Prague earlier in the window. England have nine points from four games, three behind group leaders Spain, who have won all four, and six clear of third-placed Croatia with two games left. Czechia are bottom with no points.
