At London’s lights, Harry Kane turned a landmark night into another emphatic England win, scoring twice in a 3-0 defeat of the Czech Republic on his 125th international appearance.
The Ligue 1 news
There was no Ligue 1 involvement in this international fixture, but England’s latest result extended a commanding run under Thomas Tuchel. Three days after a 7-0 victory over Croatia, England again won without conceding, recording a third consecutive clean-sheet success.
The Czech Republic arrived in poor form after a group-stage exit at the World Cup and suffered a fifth straight defeat, the longest losing streak in the nation’s history. Pavel Sulc returned from suspension but made little impact, while the visitors did not register a shot on target.
For much of the opening half, the Czech side stayed organised without offering a serious threat. Their resistance ended in the 27th minute when Vladimir Coufal put the ball through his own net after an England delivery into the area, despite no attacker being immediately behind him.
England exposed the same defensive uncertainty again before the interval. Elliot Anderson began the move, Morgan Rogers supplied the cross and Kane finished from close range in the 39th minute. Each of the three players touched the ball once in a swift move that left the England captain unmarked.
Kane had already matched Peter Shilton’s England appearance record by reaching 125 caps. He nearly added another goal when an effort from outside the area struck the crossbar in the 53rd minute, but completed his double four minutes later with a headed finish from a corner.
The Bayern Munich striker was substituted in the 82nd minute to a standing ovation. His two goals took him to 13 for England in the calendar year, leaving him three short of his personal international best of 16, set in 2021.
The next appointment
England remain second in the group, three points behind Spain, who edged Croatia 2-1. The return matches are scheduled for next month, with England still able to chase first place.
