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Ollie Watkins grabbed his opportunity to show he can compete with Harry Kane by firing England towards a 3-0 win over Greece on Thursday which reasserted the Three Lions’ authority in their Nations League group, putting them in pole position to win promotion.
Interim coach Lee Carsley did what Gareth Southgate was too afraid to do during Euro 2024 and dropped captain Kane for the Aston Villa striker, and Watkins put England in front in the seventh minute with a tap-in set up by the thrusting Noni Madueke.
Jordan Pickford had to be at the top of his game to keep the hosts at bay before Jude Bellingham, who had sparked the first goal with a wonderful reverse pass, made sure of the victory. The Real Madrid midfielder fired a shot which cannoned off the post and was knocked over the line by the heel of the hapless Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Carsley’s side turned a good victory into a great one when Curtis Jones scored the third with a cheeky backheel on his debut, and those late strikes took England above Greece in League B, Group Two on goal difference, meaning victory against Ireland on Sunday will seal their promotion back to the top tier without having to go through a play-off.
GOAL rates England’s players from Athens’ Olympic Stadium…
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AFPGoalkeeper & Defence
Jordan Pickford (9/10):
Inspirational. Thwarted Tsimikas then Ioannidis when goals looked certain. Also proactive with his kicking and punching.
Kyle Walker (5/10):
Looked vulnerable in the first half, especially when beaten by Tsimikas. Looked nervous in possession but better when asked to slot in at centre-back after the break.
Ezri Konsa (6/10):
Immaculate with the ball but appeared to hobble off at half-time and didn’t come back out after the break.
Marc Guehi (7/10):
Another fine display from England’s most reliable defender.
Rico Lewis (6/10):
Played a fine pass to Watkins which deserved a better touch. Switched to right-back in the second half and had to dig deep in defence before contributing to the two late goals.
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Getty Images SportMidfield
Conor Gallagher (6/10):
A typically hard-working performance, although he played with fire when he continued to fly into tackles despite being booked.
Curtis Jones (8/10):
A dream international debut. Sat just in front of the defence, his measured passing giving England control for much of the game. Then added the icing on the cake with an audacious finish.
Jude Bellingham (8/10):
Back to his talismanic best. Played a lovely reverse pass to Madueke in the build-up to the opener, bossed the midfield, hit the post with a header and then sealed the win by forcing the own goal. Booked for arguing with the referee.
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Getty Images SportAttack
Noni Madueke (8/10):
Dazzled the hosts down the right, setting up Watkins’ goal and linking up well with Bellingham.
Ollie Watkins (6/10):
Justified Carsley’s faith in him by scoring, although a sloppy touch ruined a promising move just before the break.
Anthony Gordon (5/10):
Couldn’t have the desired impact, huffing and puffing but creating little genuine danger.
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AFPSubs & Manager
Lewis Hall (6/10):
A decent debut. Demonstrated his pace although didn’t get too involved in the attacking play.
Harry Kane (5/10):
Looked isolated when he replaced Watkins.
Morgan Rogers (6/10):
A reasonable debut from the bench.
Jarrod Bowen (6/10):
Played his part in the late goals.
Morgan Gibbs-White (7/10):
Set up Jones’ delicious goal.
Lee Carsley (7/10):
Picked a courageous starting XI and was vindicated.
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