The oldest international competition has been decided by the youngest player on the pitch. like Scotland And England 150 years after their first meeting, it was no surprise that the dominant figure was a man who had only lived 20 years.
Jude Bellingham He has made a habit of excelling on foreign soil lately, becoming the Bundesliga Player of the Year, A great start to life in Spain with Real Madrid Now he inflicts Scotland’s first defeat in 2023.
Bellingham played a role – a second one, really – in England’s first goal. He scored their second goal. He made third for Harry Kane In a wonderful way. The booking for the brawl with Jack Hendry – which could be described as a bit of a brawl in these parts – was a sign of his competitive instincts.
Painful night for Harry Maguire, who inadvertently scored Scotland’s goal, was the winning goal for Bellingham. Wearing the number 10 – it would be beneficial if the shirt remained his or hers to never come back to him Raheem Sterling – He played as a 10, and scored only his second goal for England. A month after his debut for Real Madrid, he already has five players for his new club, but there are chances that Bellingham will become even more prolific in his national team’s colours.
As England scored twice with an assist from Bellingham in four first-half minutes, it was a night of double disappointment for Scotland.
Their qualification for Euro 2024 would have been sealed if Norway Failed to beat Georgia but instead Erling Haaland The company prolonged their wait. to Steve ClarkThe main victory for 2023 came over Spain; In the final reckoning, it might matter more, as beating England would have boosted team morale, and as being selected, with the strongest team available, would hardly have suggested that this was a friendly match.
Instead, the crowd decided to spend the second half chasing English substitute Maguire. His own goal could hardly have been cheered louder if it had been scored by Habib Hampden, John McGinn.
However, Harry’s England goals canceled out each other, and Kane restored the two-goal margin, just as the Scotland captain set up a goal for both sides: Andy Robertson He initially miscued Bellingham’s shot and then made a compensatory contribution on Maguire’s own goal, the left-back materializing on the right wing to transform into provider. That was the only hit Bellingham wasn’t involved in, and that was his ubiquity.
After half an hour, England had possession of a lot of the ball, but opportunities were rare, a high-speed movement that moved them from one end of the field to the other, with both… Kyle Walker Bellingham participated twice. Walker’s pace made it easy and, after scoring England’s first late goal in his 77th cap, he aimed to score the second with a low shot. Instead he became an assistant, Phil Foden He brilliantly turned the ball into the net. It was a marked improvement on his first shot, which he skated off Marcus RashfordLow cross.
Bellingham then scored a goal after a mistake by Robertson, as he sent the ball directly to the Real Madrid player. However, this was a product of a new predatory feeling and a willingness to spend more time in the box. However, arguably his best contribution came in England’s third goal. A brilliant passing move reached its peak when Bellingham broke away from two defenders with enviable ease and released Kane to score his 59th goal for England.
Gareth Southgate He made six changes but retained four key figures, in Keane, Billingham, Walker and Declan Rice. The full-back, a player who Southgate has twice talked about retiring from international football, has shown his value as a running force down England’s right flank. Rashford was a frequent outlet on the left, demonstrating the importance of having at least one winger with the pace to run in behind defences; It’s a thing James Madison Lacks and Manchester United The man may win their own duel.
However, this was another forgettable occasion for the unlucky Maguire. He was called up at the end of the first half to replace Mark GuehiHe turned Robertson’s cross past Aaron RamsdellThe goalkeeper was given no chance. The Scottish fans welcomed his every touch, and a century and a half after the first meeting between these two countries ended in a goalless draw, the home fans enjoyed their misfortune when they scored.
This was not the only sign of a frightening atmosphere. May God protect the king, he was drowned out by whistles and boos. The Flower of Scotland roared, and choruses around Edward II’s clearly failing army were used in the 14th century to try to intimidate Southgate’s forces in the 21st century.
Without exaggerating the historical similarities, not every English general could use someone of Bellingham’s caliber. Scotland, a rapidly improving and arguably overachieving team, will not be the last to regret their superiority.