New Delhi, October 14, 2024: England enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Finland thanks to goals from Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Sunday to get their Nations League campaign back on track after Thursday’s humbling loss to Greece.
The win for England’s under-scrutiny interim manager Lee Carsley left his side second in Group B2 with nine points after four games, level on points with leaders Greece who host Ireland later on Sunday, while Finland are bottom without a point.
“I think we could have had a few more (goals), especially towards the end as the game opened up,” Grealish told ITV.
“It was difficult at times in the first half, but we went in at halftime with a one-goal lead, and then I think we dominated the game.”
Grealish opened the scoring in the 18th minute with his fourth England goal when Angel Gomes spun and slipped a clever pass into the path of the winger, who slotted the ball into the far corner past goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
“The goal came from the manager letting us play with that freedom,” said Grealish, who stuck a thumb in his mouth in celebration, saying it was for his daughter who was born last month.
Alexander-Arnold gave England some breathing space when he bent a free kick from 20 metres over the wall into the top corner in the 74th minute.
“I joked to Trent before the free-kick ‘score this I will give you 500 quid ($650),’ and he slapped it in top bin (corner),” Grealish said.
Rice tapped home substitute Ollie Watkins’ cross 10 minutes later after making a bursting run upfield.
“I was still in my own half, in the box when the ball got played to (Watkins), and I thought ‘you know what, just keep going,’ and it was just instinct being aware, Ollie’s crossed it and I arrived there,” Rice said.
The one notable blot on England’s performance came when Arttu Hoskonen pulled a goal back for Finland with an 87th minute header from a corner, the lapse in defence costing keeper Dean Henderson a clean sheet on his first start.
“At the end, we were a bit gutted as players to concede from a set piece. But … we needed a win today, so happy with that'” added Grealish.
Carsley made six changes to the England team from the shambolic 2-1 defeat by Greece at Wembley, with captain Harry Kane back from injury to lead the line.
England also returned to a more conventional formation after Carsley’s experimental lineup without a main striker against the Greeks failed miserably.
He has faced criticism following the loss, his first since Gareth Southgate stood down as England manager after Euro 2024.
Sunday’s win at the stadium that hosted the 1952 Olympics kept alive England’s hopes of automatic promotion to League A of the Nations League after they were relegated last time out.
They need to finish top of the group to automatically secure a berth in the competition’s highest section, which likely means a victory when they play Greece again in Athens on Nov. 14.
According to the reports published in rediff.com Finland will regret missing chances when England led 1-0, including two from Fredrik Jensen who fired just wide in the first half and missed a sitter early in the second, flashing the ball over from close range and burying his head in his hands.
Two-goal Arnautovic helps Austria thrash Norway
Austria’s Marko Arnautovic netted twice as they thrashed Norway 5-1 in the Nations League on Sunday, with the hosts keeping the usually prolific Erling Haaland quiet as the captain’s defence collapsed around him in their Group B3 clash.
The result leaves Norway, Austria and Slovenia, who beat Kazakhstan 1-0 away, all level on seven points after four games. Kazakhstan are bottom of the standings with one point.
Haaland, who became Norway’s all-time top scorer with a double in a 3-0 home win over Slovenia on Thursday that took him to 34 international goals, hit the post after six minutes, but that was as close as he came to scoring in a one-sided game.
Two minutes after Haaland came close, Austria skipper Arnautovic fired a thunderous shot in off the underside of the bar. Alexander Sorloth levelled in the 39th minute but Norway found themselves behind again four minutes after the break.
This time it was visiting defender Andreas Hanche-Olsen who was at fault, inexplicably diving headlong into the path of Christian Baumgartner to concede a penalty which Arnautovic drilled in low to Orjan Nyland’s right to restore their lead.
Norway then collapsed from the 58th as they conceded three soft headers in 13 minutes to Philipp Lienhart, Stefan Posch and Michael Gregoritsch, who scored four minutes after coming on, much to the disgust of visiting coach Stale Solbakken.
Greece’s winning streak continues with victory over Ireland
Greece extended their perfect Nations League campaign with a 2-0 home win over Ireland on Sunday, their fourth victory coming thanks to second-half goals from Anastasios Bakasetas and Petros Mantalas on an emotional night.
The Greeks top Group B2 on 12 points, three ahead of second-placed England, who won 3-1 away to Finland, while Ireland stay third on three points with Finland bottom on zero.
Greece came into the game on the back of an emotionally charged 2-1 win over England at Wembley on Thursday, a day after the death of their former teammate George Baldock, and they rose to the occasion once again in a poignant match.
After an impeccably observed minute’s silence before kick-off, the crowd inside the packed Karaiskakis Stadium made plenty of noise to get behind their team and the players responded.
Ireland’s Caoimhin Kelleher kept his side in the game with four important saves in the first half, but Greece made the breakthrough three minutes after the interval when Bakasetas’ shot took a deflection which took the ball beyond the keeper.
The goal brought Ireland to life and Jack Taylor’s header forced a save from Odysseas Vlachodimos before in added time Kelleher gifted the ball to Mantalos outside his area when attempting a pass and the midfielder slotted home.
