England vs Bulgaria Results: Score 4-0

Captain Harry Kane scores a hat trick. The young midfielder Mason Mount got off the bench and made his debut for the senior English team. These two things colored the Three Lions' impressive victory over Bulgaria at Wembley.

England entertain Bulgaria at Wembley Stadium in advanced EURO 2020 Group A Qualifications on Saturday (07/09/2019). England won 4-0.

Harry Kane scored a hat trick in the 24th, 49th minute (penalty), and 73th (penalty). One other British goal was created by Raheem Sterling in the 55th minute.

England also won the three matches they have played in this group, scoring 14 goals and conceding only once. England lead the standings with a one point advantage over Kosovo, who have eight points from four matches. Bulgaria stranded at the bottom with two points from five matches.

Next, three days later, England will host Kosovo. Meanwhile, the next Bulgarian match, on 11 October, is away to Montenegro.

Bulgaria plays defensively. Georgi Sarmov, who is actually a defensive midfielder, stands between two central defenders. That is, Bulgaria down with five defenders. England only has Ross Barkley as a creative feeder in midfield. This makes England a little trouble dismantling the Bulgarian back line.

It was not easy for the trio of Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford in attack to break into the visitors' defense. It took 24 minutes for the Three Lions to break the deadlock at Wembley. Starting from poor defending Bulgaria, Sterling can win the ball and send sweet passes to Kane. The captain finished it without error.

After that, Bulgaria remained more focused on survival. That makes the English back line guarded by Harry Maguire and Michael Keane not too sweaty. However, England also failed to score additional goals until the break.

There was no change in player composition at the start of the second. Even so, England were able to double the advantage just four minutes after the break. Bodurov violated Rashford in the forbidden box, and the referee gave a penalty for England. Kane converted it into the second goal. Only six minutes later, England even winning 3-0. This time, replace Kane who designed the assists, and Sterling who scored.

Sterling has contributed five goals for England in this qualification.

Leading three goals, Gareth Southgate then replaced Jordan Henderson with Mason Mount. The 20-year-old Chelsea midfielder also made his debut for the senior English team. Not long after, Sterling was pulled out, replaced by Jadon Sancho.

England got the fourth goal, again from the penalty spot, with Kane as the executor. This penalty was awarded after substitute Kristian Dimitrov violated Kane in the box. Kane converted the penalty and completed his hat trick.

Just like Sterling, Kane has also scored five goals for England in this qualification.

Southgate then replaced Kane with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Liverpool midfielder also appeared with the English national team for the first time in 18 months.

England (4-3-3): Pickford; Rose (yellow 90), Maguire, Keane (yellow 30), Trippier; Barkley, Rice, Henderson (Mount 67); Rashford, Kane (Oxlade-Chamberlain 77), Sterling (Sancho 71).

Coach: Gareth Southgate.

Bulgaria (5-1-1): Iliev; Nedyalkov, Bozhikov, Sarmov, Bodurov (yellow 36) (Dimitrov 67), Popov; Wanderson, Malinov, Popov, Ivanov (Mladenov 84); Marcelinho (Despodov 67).

Coach: Krasimir Balakov.

British Statistics - Bulgaria

    Ball possession: 67% - 33%
    Shots: 17 - 4
    Shots on target: 6 - 4
    Yellow card: 2 - 1
    Red card: 0 - 0.

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