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This win marked England’s second straight triumph in the group and stretched their unbeaten run against Finland to a whopping 12 matches!
Finland, sitting 59 places below England in the rankings, came out with a defensive game plan, trying to frustrate their more skilled opponents. Kane, looking to add to his impressive tally of eight goals in his last seven home internationals, tested Finnish keeper Lukas Hradecky with England’s only shot on target in the first half. Bukayo Saka was also a handful on the right wing, forcing a save from a deflected cross and setting up Kane for a diving header that was sadly ruled out by VAR for a narrow offside. It was a bit of a dull first half, with both teams heading into halftime at 0-0.
The second half saw Finland sticking to their deep defensive tactics, but England cranked up the pressure. Hradecky made some key saves, denying Kane and Anthony Gordon, but the breakthrough finally came at the hour mark. Kane showed his class with a stunning strike, rifling the ball past the helpless Finnish keeper to put England ahead. After not winning at Wembley in their last three outings, the goal really boosted the hosts, and debutant Noni Madueke made an instant impact off the bench.
Finland didn’t have much to offer in response, and their hopes of a comeback faded in the 76th minute when Kane slotted in his second goal, this time from a Madueke lay-off. The Bayern Munich star’s 68th international goal sealed the deal, and Kane was subbed off soon after as Lee Carsley brought on fresh legs to wrap up the comfortable win.
With back-to-back 2-0 victories, including a win over the Republic of Ireland, England’s perfect start to the UNL campaign puts them on six points in Group B2, with Carsley eyeing a quick return to the top tier of European football. Meanwhile, Finland’s struggles continue, following a 3-0 loss to Greece, leaving them at the bottom of the group behind Ireland on goal difference.
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