A calm and composed approach by England saw caretaker manager Gareth Southgate secure his first victory in charge of the Three Lions, with a 2-0 victory over Malta in FIFA World Cup qualifying on Saturday. Malta’s defence and backline were organised and stubborn throughout the first half, as they were content to defend and attempt to strike on the counter-attack.
England 2 Malta 0: Match Review
An injury to starting right-back Ryan Bertrand caused Southgate to go to his bench earlier than he had planned, as Danny Rose entered in the 19th minute. The visitors were doing a fine job of keeping the hosts from finding the opening goal at Wembley Stadium in the early stages.
But England found the breakthrough in the 29th minute. Jordan Henderson sent a sensational cross into the box and Daniel Sturridge powered a header into the bottom left corner of the goal.
The build-up to the play was patient and Henderson’s pass was accurate. Sturridge’s placement on the shot left no chance for Malta goalkeeper Andrew Hogg to keep it out of the net.
Pressure began to become increasingly steady from Southgate’s 4-3-3 formation and England struck once more before half-time to double their lead.
A perfect combination between Henderson and Dele Alli sliced through the Malta backline. The Tottenham star put a strong shot on goal that was saved by Hogg, but Alli quickly buried the rebound to make it 2-0.
England saw out a quieter second half with a dominant midfield and over 80% of the possession, as they now sit atop Group F in UEFA World Cup qualifying with six points.
A measured approach
Gareth Southgate was bound to feel pressure in his first match in charge, even if it was against a Malta side that was expected to be defeated with ease. His tactics helped relieve some of this pressure by controlling the possession and tempo of the match.
By keeping the ball and dictating much of the proceedings, England were able to overcome a stubborn Malta side by breaking down the defence with a steady attack.
Defence prepared for Malta’s tactics
Malta and manager Pietro Ghedin understood that their best chance to upset England in this Group F match-up was to keep their defence solid and look for strikers Alfred Effiong and Andre Schembri on the counter.
While not tested often, the Three Lions were prepared for this approach. England centre-backs Gary Cahill and John Stones had excellent performances in clearing out any dangers throughout.
Henderson shines in midfield
Jordan Henderson earned Man of the Match honours in his central midfield role and was a key component to both goals on the evening. He registered an assist on Sturridge’s opener and he linked up with Alli to help find England’s second goal.
Henderson’s passing was crisp, accurate and his vision was crucial in the squad being able to dominate possession over Malta.
England play their next match in Group F Tuesday in Slovenia, while Malta will travel to Lithuania.
LINE-UPS
ENGLAND: Hart, Walker, Cahill, Stones, Bertrand (Rose 19’), Henderson, Rooney, Alli, Walcott (Rashford 68’), Sturridge (Vardy 73’), Lingard
Unused subs: Heaton, Forster, Keane, Smalling, Antonio, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Townsend, Dier
MALTA: Hogg, Borg, Zach Muscat, Agius, Camilleri, Alex Muscat, Kristensen, Sciberras, Fenech, Schembri (Rowen Muscat 88’), Effiong (Mifsud 76’)
Unused subs: Bonello, Failla, Scicluna, Scerri, Zerafa, Farrugia, Pisani
REFEREE: Stefan Johannesson
Main Photo
