England 3-0 Czechia: Kane marks record-tying cap with brace in routine win

UEFA Nations League,
League A – 4

Wembley Stadium

Serdar Gozubuyuk

Vladimir Coufal 27′ (OG)
Harry Kane 40′
Harry Kane 57′

Harry Kane scored his 125th England cap with a brace as England reached a 3-0 UEFA Nations League win Czech.

Kane’s selection for Tuesday’s clash at Wembley put him level with Peter Shilton for the games, and he was instrumental as England rounded off the international break with three wins from four.

He provided the assist for the first goal when Vladimir Coufal turned into his own net midway through the first half, and Kane finished off a superb move for England to double their lead from close range in the 40th minute.

England’s record goalscorer headed home 12 minutes into the second half as the Three Lions all but secured their place in the Nations League quarter-finals.

Thomas Tuchel’s men are three points behind Group 3 leaders Spain but have a six-point lead over third-placed Croatia with two games to play. With the tie-breaker head-to-head and England having beaten Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka on Saturday, it would take a remarkable turnaround for them to miss out on the last 16.

Czech goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek was forced into action early as he dived to his right to repel Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick.

But that was as close as England got to making the pressure tell until Coufal misjudged a low cross from Kane down the right wing, curling it past the defenseless Hornicek while not under pressure from an attacking player.

And there was nothing Hornicek could do as Kane doubled the lead and headed home with a simple finish after Morgan Rogers met Elliot Anderson’s superb lofted pass with a first-time cross that put the ball on a plate for the Bayern Munich talisman.

This marked Kane’s 90th goal for England, and after rattling the crossbar from the edge of the box, the 91st hit from close range.

Hornicek denied Jude Bellingham after better play from Rogers, but Newcastle United full-back Lewis Hall produced an excellent deep drive from the resulting corner, Kane’s header at the far post was too strong for Hall’s Magpies teammate in the Czech goal.

England took their foot off the gas a little later, and Kane eventually retired to a standing ovation after a historic night. Another will almost certainly come next month when England host Croatia with Kane in line for a record 126th.

UEFA Nations League table

Next matches of England and Czech Republic