Friendly: England triumph over old rivals
Scotland 1 - 3 England
In a raucous Hampden Park friendly, England continued their modern-day superiority over Scotland.
Scots last won this fixture in 1999, but hopes of a 42nd win appeared ominously faint as Phil Foden's opener silenced the stadium before Jude Bellingham added a second.
A shaken Scotland eventually awoke the home crowd as Harry Maguire sent Andy Robertson's cross screeching beyond Aaron Ramsdale.
A mesmerizing Bellingham assist enabled Harry Kane to score England's third as a result of England's classy play and intricate movement.
Top of their European Championship qualifying group with five wins from five and facing an England team held by Ukraine on Saturday, Steve Clarke spoke before the match about the desire to see how much his team had narrowed the gap between themselves and England.
An almost ruthless first half from Gareth Southgate's team offered a sobering reply. After a slick, composed and controlled performance, the visitors deserved their win.
Angus Gunn was beaten by Foden's quick feet and quick thinking after Kyle Walker smashed the ball toward the Scotland goal from inside the area.
Highlights here. Footage from England - YouTube
There was barely time for Scotland to gather themselves before it was two. An uncharacteristic lack of composure from Robertson saw a clearance prodded towards Bellingham on the penalty spot.
The introduction of Ryan Christie after the break breathed life into a strangely flat Scotland side. There was a lifeline via the unfortunate Maguire that ignited a fire inside Clarke's side as England rocked slightly.
However, Jude Bellingham's class would show once more. The Real Madrid man has an increasing reputation across Europe. He helped seal England's win by slipping the ball to his captain, and Bayern Munich's leading man who made no mistake.
The best reaction from the fans
Liam, an England fan, said: "Bellingham's been an absolute standout on the pitch! His ability to neutralize Scotland's strengths was top-notch, and his incredible athleticism in pressing them was a game-changer. He's really been the driving force for this England side."
Claire, a Scotland fan from Edinburgh, added: "Whilst, I am annoyed with the result, I do think there's enough in the performance to show some positives."
Frank, another Scotland fan, told us: "I feel the annoyance with this result perhaps shows how far we have come in recent times. There are clearly some positive signs, and maybe we just need to become more clinical in both penalty areas."
What about those involved?
Scotland manager Steve Clarke spoke with Channel 4 after the match: "First half, we didn't really get started, couldn't get hold of the ball. Second half, we showed a better intensity, and when it goes 2-1 we had the chance to be in the game, but England scored another one and it was always going to be difficult to get back in."
The England boss was clearly happy with the result and performance
"Excellent in all phases." 👏
— England (@England) September 13, 2023
The boss reviews a strong team performance in last night's win over Scotland:
