England 5 Czech Republic 0

UEFA European Championship Qualifying Group A, Friday 22nd March 2019

Raheem Sterling put in a MOTM performance as his hat-trick helped England thrash Czech Republic at Wembley to get their Euro 2020 Qualifying campaign off to a perfect start.

England had had a brilliant 2018, reaching the World Cup Semi-Finals before reaching the final four of the Nations League after brilliant wins over Spain and Croatia, so they knew they had to back that up with a solid and decent display in these qualifiers.

The Three Lions have been drawn in a group with Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Kosovo and although on paper this looked like a breeze, these teams have the capabilities to surprise, so it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion.

The Czech’s came into this one looking to qualify for their seventh straight Euro’s, but were in mixed form, winning three and loosing three of their last six, and they finished runners-up to Ukraine, who they lost too both times, in their Nations League campaign, although they did beat Slovakia home and away in that competition.

A crowd of just over 82,000 were in attendance to see how this young and exciting England team would deal with a side who seemed early on to just be content to let England have plenty of possession but hold firm when they tried to penetrate their back-line.

There was also an early blow for the Three Lions when Eric Dier limped off after just a quarter of an hour, and he will now miss the Montenegro game on Monday as a result, although Ross Barkley did come on in his place, a very able replacement it has to be said.

The game did take a while to get going, and it was the Czech’s who had the first shot at goal, a wayward one mind, midway through the half, and that seem to awaken the hosts who went right down the other end to break the deadlock, as after an exquisite pass from Harry Kane had released Jadon Sancho, his square ball across goal saw Sterling slide in to convert and England had broken the Czech’s resistance.

That seemed to ease any nerves/doubts in and around the stadium and the hosts continued to dominate, and bang on half-time got an all important second when after the brilliant Sterling had been taken out by two Czech defenders, Kane stepped up to plant the spot-kick into the corner, this despite keeper Jiri Pavlenka getting a big right-hand to the ball, and the Three Lions now had a comfortable two-goal cushion at the break.  So far so good for Gareth’s men.

Half Time England 2 Czech Republic 0

The Czech’s to their credit came out early on in the second half with renewed vigour, and so nearly pulled a goal back when a free kick was flicked inches wide of the far post, before another effort from close range was struck straight at Jordan Pickford, had it been either side of him it would certainly have been 2-1.

And moments later the Czech’s struck another decent effort straight at Pickford, and you began to wonder if the visitors were going to get themselves back into the contest, as had any one of those three efforts had found the net, it would have been very much game on.

England hadn’t come out of the dressing room for the opening few minutes of the half, but they soon found their rhythm again and should of made it three but saw a close range effort somehow blocked, and you felt a third England goal was needed now to kill the game once and for all.

Well on 62 minutes that man Sterling found that third goal, his second of the evening, as he pounced on a loose ball to curl brilliantly into the far corner, and you felt that was that and the visitors had no way back from this now.

England were enjoying themselves now and broke on the Czech’s in the 69^th minute before Sterling received the ball on the left, cut inside and sent an effort at goal which took a huge deflection off Ondrej Celustka, wrong-footing keeper Pavlenka, and finding the net to complete the Manchester City playmaker’s hat-trick.

Manager Southgate immediately took off Sterling to a standing ovation, he had been brilliant and deservedly won the MOTM award, and he was replaced by another exciting talent in Callum Hudson-Odoi, who was making his Three Lions debut.

He looked at home straight away, causing the visitors all kinds of problems with his pace and skilful play, and he had a hand in England’s fifth and final goal when his shot was saved by Pavlenka, but unfortunately for the Czech’s straight into the path of defender Tomas Kalas who turned the ball back past his keeper and into the net.  It kind of summed up the visitors evening.

So a brilliant way to begin our Euro 2020 campaign, and plenty to be excited about as an England fan too, it’s Montenegro next in Podgorica on Monday, somewhere England haven’t won in two meetings, so they will have to be at their best and also be wary of the opposition.  But it looks as though Gareth and the boys have their heads screwed on so to speak, so things are looking good.

For the Czech's this is not a good start to their campaign, and although they showed flashes of what they are capable of here, they were well and truly outclassed by this England side.  They don't play their next Qualifier until June 7th, where they hosts Bulgaria, and with the Bulgarian's drawing their opening game, this looks like a big game already.

Full Time England 5 Czech Republic 0