England pass first test on road to the Euros but face fresh injury worries
Gareth Southgate’s men secured a slender 1-0 win over Austria in the first of two international friendlies.
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game as England won their fifth straight international. Despite the victory, Southgate's side failed to excite at the Riverside in Middlesbrough.
Austria enjoyed more possession and produced more goal attempts in a rather uninspiring pre-tournament friendly.
The Starboy strikes! 🤩
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 2, 2021
Massive congratulations on your first @England goal, @BukayoSaka87 👏#Arsenal | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/pUAOgSwL8z
The main takeaway from this game will be the fresh injury worries surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The right-back pulled up with an injury in the closing stages of the game and was forced to come off.
Story of the match
There were around 7,000 in attendance as England fans got to see some new stars for the first time, with Jack Grealish, Saka and 17-year-old full debutant Jude Bellingham looking bright.
Harry Kane had the best chance of the first half and 19-year-old Saka kept his cool to put the Three Lions into a deserved lead early in the second period.
Jordan Pickford spared debutant Ben Godfrey's blushes and got the slightest touch as Marcel Sabitzer struck the crossbar on a night that Southgate was unable to call on Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea players.
1️⃣2️⃣6️⃣0️⃣: @BenG0dfrey
— England (@England) June 2, 2021
1️⃣2️⃣6️⃣1️⃣: @ben6white
Welcome to the #ThreeLions family! pic.twitter.com/N7a4pFQTPF
Dynamic Bellingham won the ball to set off an England break, with Jesse Lingard - cut from the Euros squad on Tuesday - playing a ball from Kane into the path of Grealish. Sabitzer just took it off the playmaker's toe but directed on for the Arsenal teenager to slot home from an acute angle.
Debutant Godfrey was among that quadruple change and was rescued by Everton team-mate Pickford, who raced back to hack his misplaced back-pass off the line.
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