PARIS: England ground out a low-key 2-0 victory over Malta in Saturday’s 2018 World Cup qualifier in interim manager Gareth Southgate’s first game in charge, while defending champions Germany strolled past the Czech Republic 3-0.
Daniel Sturridge and Dele Alli scored first-half goals in front of a crowd of 82,000 at Wembley to steer England to a second straight win in Group F, leaving them two points clear at the top.
Liverpool striker Sturridge headed superbly back across Malta goalkeeper Andrew Hogg in the 29th minute following an inviting cross from club team-mate Jordan Henderson.
Alli then combined cleverly with Henderson to grab England’s second goal seven minutes before half-time, the duo exchanging passes on the edge of the area before the former poked home the rebound after his initial effort was saved.
“We, at times, played some really nice stuff in both halves, and had plenty of chances to have made it more comfortable,” said Southgate, who has been appointed on a temporary basis following Sam Allardyce’s shock departure.
“In the second half, subconsciously, there was a feeling the game was won and we were looking towards Tuesday physically. We didn’t bomb forward as we might have done had the scoreline been tighter. There’s room for improvement, but that’s not a bad place for us to be.”
Southgate and England will expect a much trickier assignment in Ljubljana when they take on Slovenia, who claimed an important 1-0 home win over Slovakia, in three days’ time.
Substitute James McArthur rescued a point for Scotland with an 89th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at home to Lithuania, who had taken the lead through skipper Fiodor Cernych.
