Football EM: Scotland Button England point

Players from both teams kneeled before the oldest duel in football history and jointly set an example against racism and discrimination. England now have 48 wins, 41 losses and 26 draws. On 30 November 1872, the first international match between the two teams was played at Hamilton Crescent, a cricket ground in Glasgow – also ended 0–0.

The last time the duel took place was in 1996 at a European Championship. England won the group stage of the home title match 2–0 and later failed in the semi-final against European champions Germany on penalties, with Scotland not making the knockout stage. The last Scottish victory over England came on June 17, 1999 at the European Championship Qualifier at Wembley Stadium. The last “Battle of Britain” clash until Friday on 10 June 2017 was a 2–2 clash in Glasgow.

Youngest England starting XI in European Championship history

England coach Gareth Southgate changed his starting XI by two places compared to a 1–0 win against Croatia. Luke Shaw starts from left back in place of Kieran Trippier. On the far right, Reece was defending James instead of Kyle Walker. With an average age of just over 25, Southgate’s starting eleven were the youngest players to enter a major competition (the European Championship and the World Cup).

Scotland coach Steve Clark made four changes in his first match in a 2–0 draw against the Czech Republic. Defender Kieran Tierney as left-back and young Billy Gilmour in central defensive midfield also made his European Championship starting line-up debuts, as did offensive man Callum McGregor and striker Che Adams.

The Scots made a powerful start and got their first good chance in the fourth minute. Adams’ shot was blocked after a pass into the box by Stephen O’Donnell. On the other hand, another free kick from 20-year-old young star Mason Mount (7th) found no takers.

England takes command

The British continued to command and had two excellent chances in a row. First, after a corner from Mason Mount, John Stones puts a header on the bar (11th). Then Raheem Sterling Scott McTominay took the ball as play was building, passed from the left edge of the penalty area to the center on Mount, whose shot went past the goal (13th).

Fans got good chances from both sides after just 30 minutes at Wembley Stadium. England’s Reece James sets up captain Harry Kane with a wide cross, whose diving header just missed the goal (29th). On the other hand, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was able to block a shot from one hand (30th) by Scott O’Donnell. Then another chance for England: Mount played a lob on the Scottish defence at Stirling, who could not get the ball under control (34th).

Marshall Parry on completion of Mt.

After the break, both the teams returned to the ground without any changes. “Three Lions” went straight to the boundary, but a sharp pass from Luke Shaw in the center of the penalty area was blocked (46th). Scotland’s number one marshal then fired a shot from Mount (48th) to the corner post. Scotland’s first offensive action in the second half was on the left through captain Andrew Robertson, whose entry in the center (52nd) was intercepted.

Kane, on the other hand, almost became James’s assistant. His pass in the back field from left placed James just above the goal (55th) from the edge of the penalty area, but it would have been achieved by Scottish goalkeeper Marshall. England now completely dominated the match, but none were getting through the Scottish five-man chain, for example for Kane (59th) and Sterling (61st).

James saves on the line

In one of the few relief strikes in Scotland, a cross from O’Donnell was blocked on Lyndon Dykes (62nd). At the next corner, James blocked a Dykes spin with a head – goalkeeper Pickford would have been beaten. But England also had chances. A flick from Luke Shaw clearly went past (74th) after a one-two with Mount in the far corner from an acute angle.

Adams again had 1-0 in the leg for the Scots. Born in England, he volleyed a cross from the far corner by pushing a header, but did not hit the ball properly (78). There was a penalty alarm in the Scottish penalty area ten minutes before the end. Sterling fell after an ongoing duel in the penalty area, but was waved off by Spain’s referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz.

There was great turmoil in the Scottish penal area during stoppage time. Just in front of goal, England’s Declan Rice brought the ball in front of the goal, but referee Lahoj ended the action (91st) in a confusing manner. The game eventually ended in a fair draw, which Scotland is probably happier about than the British. With a win in the last group game against Croatia, there is a chance to reach the Round of 16.

Voices for the game:

Gareth Southgate (England Team Principal): “It was a disappointing evening. Big credit should be given to Scotland. If you can’t win a game, the important thing is to at least not lose. We didn’t do enough to win the match. We all have to see—I’m the first—that we can do better next time.”

steve clark (Scotland Team Principal): “It was a good evening, we played well. I knew I had a good group of players and they showed it. I am excited. We also had a chance to win the match. England also had good moments. When you watched the game, you couldn’t tell which team was the favourite.”

European Football Championship, Group D, 2nd match day

Friday:

England 0-0 Scotland

London, Wembley Stadium, 22,500 spectators, SR Lahoj (ESP)

England: Pickford – James, Stones, Mings, Shaw – Rice, Mount, Phillips – Foden (63./Grelish), Kane (74./Rashford), Sterling

Scotland: Marshall – McTominay, Hanley, Tierney – O’Donnell, McGinn, Gilmour (76./Armstrong), McGregor, Robertson – Dykes, Adams (86./Nisbet)

Yellow Card: None or McGinn, O’Donnell

Die Beston: Stones, Mt., Pickford bzw. Tierney, McGinn, O’Donnell