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England maintain and extend their perfect record in Group K. It’s now seven wins out of seven, with 20 goals scored and still none conceded. They’re heading to Fifa World Cup 26 in style. Serbia won’t be there, though; they can no longer catch second-placed Albania, who are now assured of a place in the play-offs. Sunday’s matches – Albania v England and Serbia v Latvia – are dead rubbers.
1. England P7 W7 D0 L0 F20 A0 Pts 21
2. Albania P7 W4 D2 L1 F7 A3 Pts 14
3. Serbia P7 W3 D1 L3 F7 A9 Pts 10
4. Latvia P7 W1 D2 L4 F4 A13 Pts 5
5. Andorra P8 W0 D1 L7 F3 A16 Pts 1
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FULL TIME: England 2-0 Serbia
England win another World Cup qualifier. They score another couple of fine goals. They keep another clean sheet. They seem to be going places under Thomas Tuchel.
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90 min +4: Eze tries to tee up Bellingham with a dinked pass down the inside-right channel. Pavlović comes across to clear for a corner, just before Bellingham can shoot. Nothing comes of the resulting set piece, but it doesn’t matter, because …
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90 min +2: Serbia are out of the World Cup, because Albania have won 1-0 in Andorra. Their coach Veljko Paunović is booked for arguing the toss over a possible foul earlier in the move that led to Eze’s goal, Bellingham grabbing a small handful of Pavlović’s shirt. But there’s nothing doing.
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GOAL! England 2-0 Serbia (Eze 90)
Foden breaks into acres down the middle. He rolls a perfectly weighted pass to his left, into the path of Eze, who doesn’t need to break stride as he opens his body and whips a shot into the top right. What a glorious break, fine assist, wonderful finish.
Eze sweeps in the second goal to finish off Serbia. Photograph: Toby Melville/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.42 EST
89 min: Radonjić romps after a long ball down the left. He takes a touch and advances on the box. Just as he shapes to shoot, Konsa arrives from nowhere and forcefully whistles the ball off his toe. Pickford does exceptionally well to snaffle, because that might have been heading into the bottom left! And then England counter, and …
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88 min: It’s still raining, by the way. It’s not going to stop tomorrow, either.
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87 min: Bellingham and Foden combine down the inside-left channel. The latter flicks on to Eze, who leaps and flicks a cute shot across Rajković … but the keeper gets just enough on the ball to tip it onto the bar, then claims the rebound. Eze so unlucky!
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Updated at 16.34 EST
86 min: Kostić is booked for swinging a saucy leg at Saka.
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85 min: Anderson makes way for Wharton.
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84 min: Radonjić chases after a long pass down the left. Pickford races out of his box and clears, just in time. Then the visitors come again, Vlahović attempting a curler from the edge of the box. Just over the bar. England are shipping half-chances.
Vlahović goes close for Serbia. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.33 EST
83 min: Radonjić dribbles in from the left and briefly has the opportunity to shoot. But he takes one touch too many and is eventually crowded out. Serbia don’t look completely toothless here; they’re clearly not in the mood to die wondering.
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81 min: Serbia go up the other end through Jović, who drifts infield from the left and tries a curler. The ball deflects rightwards to Samardžić, whose first-time whack across Pickford flies inches wide of the top-left corner. That whole move wasn’t too dissimilar to the sequence that led to Saka’s goal. The flag goes up afterwards for a close offside call.
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80 min: Anderson tees up Foden on the edge of the D. Foden shoots. Deflected. The ball loops down the inside-left channel for Anderson, who had kept going … but can’t control.
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79 min: Bellingham jigs in from the left and makes himself enough space to shoot … but leans back and Jonny Wilkinsons a shot miles over the bar. He grimaces. High standards.
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78 min: Saka chases a loose pass down the right wing and clips back for Eze, who swivels and misses his kick. Anderson tries to force something goalwards from the left-hand edge of the six-yard box, but the ball’s deflected wide. Nothing comes of the corner.
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77 min: Serbia make another three changes, replacing Lukić, Živković and Terzić with Grujić, Radonjić and Jović.
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75 min: Henderson crosses from the right. Foden flashes a header wide right. A good chance passes England by.
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74 min: … but Thomas Tuchel, sitting in the dugout, looks content enough with what he’s seeing. And dry.
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72 min: Bellingham and James one-two down the right, the latter releasing the former with a fluid backheel. Bellingham’s low cross, intended for Eze, is hacked out for a corner, from which nothing comes. Serbia counter, Mimović dinking a cross in from the right, Vlahović winning a header that deflects off James and out for a … goal kick?! But that’s what’s been given. Serbia beginning to show in attack, though, as they look for what they so desperately need.
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70 min: With Serbia now needing something from this game if they’re to retain a chance of qualifying for the play-offs, they make an attacking change, sending on Samardžić for Gudelj.
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68 min: Kristjan Asllani has just scored for Albania in Andorra. One-nil, and as things stand, Serbia can no longer make second place.
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66 min: England make a quadruple change. Rice, Kane, Rashford and Rogers make way for Henderson, Bellingham, Eze and Foden.
Jude Bellingham enters the fray. Photograph: Toby Melville/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.25 EST
64 min: Kostić and Konsa compete for a long ball bouncing towards the England box. Kostić wins the duel, sending Konsa sprawling. He’s clear! But the whistle goes for a very soft foul. England suddenly offering up chances, and getting away with a couple in quick succession.
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63 min: Vlahović wins a header on the halfway line. Kostić barrels after the ball down the left. He reaches the box and cuts back for Vlahović, who had kept going. Vlahović flicks a backheel across Pickford and just wide right of goal. So very close to an equaliser out of nothing!
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61 min: Anderson drops deep on the right, before swivelling and wedging a pass down the flank to nearly release Rashford. Mimović comes across to usher the ball back to his keeper. Then the flag goes up for offside anyway.
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59 min: Rashford pearls a shot from distance. Straight at Rajković. He slips over, too, hurting himself in the process. After a beat, he gingerly picks himself up and continues. Speaking of which … “I know you don’t ever go for the obvious,” writes Simon McMahon, “but please allow me. Ringo’s finest hour.”
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57 min: Rogers slips Rashford into the box down the inside-left channel. Rashford can’t get a shot away, and the ball breaks back to Rogers, who tries to shovel an improvised shot goalwards … but slips over on the greasy turf, both feet hysterically skidding out from under him. Over he goes in the slapstick style.
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56 min: Saka spins clear of Terzić down the right and races off before being hauled down from behind by his victim. The referee comes across and … blows for offside, so there’s no need for any booking.
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54 min: Rice loops a free kick into the mixer from the right. Rogers has the opportunity to shoot, but miscontrols and is forced to lay back to O’Reilly, who needs no invitation. However his effort bobbles harmlessly through a crowded box and away from danger.
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52 min: Rashford tries again down the left, but can’t get past Mimović – who he nutmegged in the first half. No joy this time.
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51 min: Rashford cuts in from the left and has a dig. His shot deflects off Kane and bounces harmlessly out for a goal kick.
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49 min: Saka crosses from the right. He nearly finds Rice in the middle. Milenković clears. “The TV director has just given us a shot of the Serbia manager, who’s styling the Diego Simeone black suit/black shirt/black tie look,” writes Charles Antaki. “Trouble is he looks like Jimmy Hill, so the combination doesn’t quite produce the menace he might have hoped for.”
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47 min: Pickford demonstrates the health of his left leg by skelping a long ball down the left wing. Mimović, under no pressure whatsoever, absolutely smashes a backpass out for a corner. Rajković had no chance of stopping that, so it’s just as well for Serbia that wasn’t on target, because it would have been a highly comical own goal. Nothing comes of the set piece, though, so all’s well for the visitors in the end.
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Serbia get the second half started. No changes. It’s still raining.
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Half-time entertainment. Rain. Rain. Rain.
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HALF TIME: England 1-0 Serbia
… the half-time whistle sounds for real this time. England content. Serbia’s World Cup dream hanging by a thread (though it’s 0-0 at half-time between Andorra and Albania, so they’d still have a chance at the weekend should nothing change in the second half).
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45 min +3: … from which nothing comes. A shrill whistle seems to bring the half to a premature end … but it’s come from the crowd! The Wembley announcer starts with his half-time spiel, but the referee waves play on. However, there’s only 15 seconds of confusion before the clock ticks round, and …
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Updated at 15.36 EST
45 min +2: Mimović busies himself down the right and earns a corner …
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45 min +1: The first of three additional first-half minutes comes and goes.
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45 min: Rashford, racing after a long ball on the counter, tries to release Rice down the inside-left channel. He overcooks the pass, allowing Rajković to swat away from Rice’s feet, then race out of his box to blooter clear.
Rice is thwarted by Predrag Rajkovic. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 15.41 EST
44 min: A Serbian free kick just inside the England half. It’s rolled down the right for Kostić, who chases into the box. Pickford comes out to hook away from the Serbian winger. From the resulting corner, Terzić has a whack that pinballs through the England box before being cleared.
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43 min: Rashford brings down a long ball with a feathery touch, gliding in from the left … only to foul Mimović, who cleverly spotted the danger and got his body in between man and ball.
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42 min: O’Reilly advances down the left, and his low cross is deflected onto the base of the left-hand post by Stanković’s outstretched boot. Corner. Rice takes it, sending it looping long from the left. Kane meets the world-class delivery at the far stick, six yards out, and should score, but heads down and wide right instead. Most uncharacteristic behaviour. What a ball from Rice, though.
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40 min: Some good news re Saka. He’s still going, having changed his boots, and doesn’t seem to be moving awkwardly now. That sort-of explains the gesturing to the bench, if not exactly the time-out gesture.
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39 min: Stanković comes on for Ilić. Then a Serbian corner, sent in from the left by Lukić. Pickford punches clear, then Terzić slices wildly over the bar from distance.
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37 min: Yes, Ilić can’t continue. He’s helped off the pitch, though at least he’s able to stand up, limping off. Hopefully that looked worse than it was, because it looked pretty bad, poor chap. Godspeed on the road to recovery.
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35 min: Rashford sends a curler towards the top right. Easy for the keeper. While he was shooting, Ilić stretched for the ball, slipped, and caught his studs in the turf. He goes over in pain. He might have done something to his knee.
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33 min: England pass and probe patiently. “Perhaps someone might suggest to Thomas Tuchel that there is a very effective way to avoid getting drenched without resorting to MUSS (McClaren Umbrella Shambles Syndrome),” begins Kim Thonger, extremely promisingly. “The fine and brave fisherman around the coast of Britain have long deployed sou’wester, bib & brace and smock oilskins for these conditions. He would pick up a great deal of support in places like Newlyn, Brixham, Shoreham, Lowestoft, Whitby, Fleetwood, and Grimsby. I recommend yellow for his complexion.”
Good idea. The merch possibilities are endless. And perhaps the FA could release this as the official World Cup song?
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31 min: … but he’s going to continue for now.
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30 min: Saka celebrates by gesturing towards the bench, shaping T with his hands. Time out! He’s frowning and limping a bit. Maybe he thinks his work tonight is done, and fancies a hot bath. He’s done enough to earn the right. Such a lovely goal! Admittedly steered in with his ankle, rather than instep, but you can’t quibble with the technique and poise.
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Updated at 15.42 EST
GOAL! England 1-0 Serbia (Saka 28)
Rice swings the free kick in from the right. Rajković punches to the edge of the box. O’Reilly, from the left-hand side of the D, shoots. The ball’s deflected right, dropping to Saka, who creams a first-time shot across Rajković and into the bottom left. What an exquisite volley with the instep!
A cool volley from Saka and England are on front! Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianThat was a special finish from Saka. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPAShare
Updated at 15.26 EST
27 min: Saka cuts in from the right again. A low drive this time. Pavlović blocks with his ankle, but Serbia only half clear, and when Anderson advances down the right, Pavlović brings him down. And from the resulting free kick …
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26 min: Živković gets the better of O’Reilly down the right and whips a low cross towards Vlahović, whose hopes of connecting with a Houchenesque diving header are scuppered by Konsa’s clearance. A reminder that Serbia most likely need something here tonight if they’re to make the World Cup.
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