Sunday, December 22, 2024

England v Finland LIVE: Nations League score as Harry Kane opens scoring at Wembley

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(Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

England host Finland at Wembley tonight as the Three Lions look to take maximum points from their first two fixtures of the 2025 Nations League campaign – on what is Harry Kane’s 100th appearance for his country.

Lee Carsley’s team strolled to a 2-0 win over Ireland last time out, with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish grabbing the goals as a new-look Three Lions dominated possession and provided plenty of attacking threat. And England’s players will be looking to put in a solid performance as they face Finland, with two squad players still to make their debuts and others keen to cement themselves in the interim manager’s thoughts.

Finland lost 3-0 to Greece in their first fixture, so England will be confident of securing a result, but the performance will arguably be scrutinised more than the scoreline as Carlsey looks to take a step towards the permanent position.

Follow all the latest updates from the Nations League match between England and Finland below.

England v Finland LIVE

  • England host Finland in second match of Nations League live on ITV

  • Lee Carsley’s side look to build on dominant win over Ireland last time out

  • Finland travel to London having lost 3-0 to Greece in opening fixture

  • Harry Kane joins century club with 100th cap for England

  • 57’ GOAL! Kane finally opens the scoring and rattles past Hradecky (ENG 1-0 FIN)

  • 54’ SAVE! Hradecky denies Kane from a free kick (ENG 0-0 FIN)

  • 41’ CLOSE Alexander-Arnold’s shot is pulled wide (ENG 0-0 FIN)

  • 23’ DISALLOWED! Kane meets Saka’s cross and heads home but he’s offside (ENG 0-0 FIN)

  • 21’ SAVE! Kane drills a shot at Hradecky who keeps it out (ENG 0-0 FIN)

England 1-0 Finland

21:17 , Mike Jones

72 mins: Alexander-Arnold crosses the ball over to the left side of the box where Eze meets it on the volley and blazes a shot high and wide.

The substitutions have sparked more life into England. Finland may be starting to tire.

England 1-0 Finland

21:14 , Mike Jones

69 mins: Oh my. Madueke’s introduction has been a lively one. His first involvement sees him dance in from the right and take a shot that gets deflected into the arms of Lucas Hradecky.

Then, a couple of minutes later, Eze floats a pass over the top which Madueke nods down towards Kane only to get flagged offside.

England 1-0 Finland

21:10 , Mike Jones

66 mins: The Finnish set piece is a unique one and gets whipped low towards the box. England read it early, recover the ball and send Anthony Gordon sprinting away on the counter attack. He’s brought down and England win a free kick.

That’s Gordon’s last act of the evening as he, and Bukayo Saka, are taken off with Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze brought on to replace them.

Madueke is making his England debut tonight.

England 1-0 Finland

21:08 , Mike Jones

63 mins: England need to remain switched on. Finland will start to push out and try to get higher up the pitch as they’re now chasing the game.

The visitors win a free kick inside England’s half and have a good chance to work the ball into the box.

Richard Jolly reporting from Wembley:

21:06 , Mike Jones

“Harry Kane marked his big night in the most fitting fashion.

“The finish – rising as it flew past Lukas Hradecky – felt right: Kane has been a wonderful finisher, a nice guy with a ruthless streak in front of goal.

“Unsurprisingly, his goal brought the loudest cheer of the night. It was also a reward for England for an improved performance in the first 15 minutes after the interval.”

 (The FA via Getty Images) (The FA via Getty Images)

(The FA via Getty Images)

England 1-0 Finland

21:04 , Mike Jones

60 mins: That was just what England needed. Harry Kane has been hungry for that goal all evening and will be over the moon to have scored on his 100th appearance.

With the Three Lions now in front Lee Carsely makes a changes and takes Ezri Konsa off, replacing him with Levi Colwill.

GOAL! England 1-0 Finland (Harry Kane, 57’)

21:02 , Mike Jones

57 mins: Finland’s goalkeeper is having a superb night. Anthony Gorodn is slipped into the box by Jack Grealish and has a shot stopped but Lucas Hradecky.

England keep up the pressure but the goalkeeper denies Harry Kane and pushes the ball to the right. England aren’t done though. They recycle it for another go and feed it back to the captain.

Kane touches it into the box then smashes a right-footed effort into the top of the net! Finally England have their goal.

England 0-0 Finland

20:57 , Mike Jones

54 mins: Jack Grealish is brought down just outside the penalty area as England work the ball across the box. it comes out to Declan Rice who shoots and sees the shot pushed wide.

The referee pulls play back for the foul and Harry Kane sets the ball. He fizzes it at goal but Lucas Hradecky leaps to the right and punches it away!

England 0-0 Finland

20:55 , Mike Jones

51 mins: England are currently down to 10-men as Konsa receives some treatment off the pitch. They control it well enough and keep possession with Rice slotting in at the vacant centre-back position.

Konsa comes back on and his injury doesn’t seem too bad.

England 0-0 Finland

20:53 , Mike Jones

48 mins: Jack Grealish brings the ball forward and gives it to Declan Rice who returns the favour once Grealish heads into the area. Tha Man City forward looks to thread a pass through to Harry Kane but Finland intercept and clear.

Ezri Konsa has gone down off the ball and is in need of treatment.

Second half!

20:49 , Mike Jones

England restart the match hoping to get the breakthrough. 45 minutes to play at Wembley.

HT England 0-0 Finland

20:47 , Mike Jones

Harry Kane is now the 10th player to win 100 caps for the England men’s national team, and first to hit that milestone since Wayne Rooney in November 2014.

 (Getty Images) (Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

HT England 0-0 Finland

20:43 , Mike Jones

Jack Grealish has been named in the starting XI in consecutive England games for the first time since June 2021 (v Austria and Romania).

 (AP) (AP)

(AP)

HT England 0-0 Finland

20:39 , Mike Jones

 (Mike Egerton/PA Wire) (Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

(Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

 (Nick Potts/PA Wire) (Nick Potts/PA Wire)

(Nick Potts/PA Wire)

 (Mike Egerton/PA Wire) (Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

(Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

Half-time! England 0-0 Finland

20:35 , Mike Jones

45+1 mins: An entertaining 45 minutes at Wembley but no goals and room for improvement from the hosts. Lee Carsley will want more intensity and more threat in the final third.

All to play for in the second half.

England 0-0 Finland

20:33 , Mike Jones

44 mins: England win a free kick right on the edge of the penalty area. Trent Alexander-Arnold stands over the ball and whips it towards the far top corner.

The shot is decent but there’s not enough curl and the ball flies wide of the post.

England 0-0 Finland

20:29 , Mike Jones

41 mins: Close! Trent Alexander-Arnold flicks the ball over the top and plays Bukayo Saka into the box. Saka cuts onto his right foot and looks for the pass but a deflection takes the ball out to Rico Lewis.

Lewis is encouraged to shoot by the crowd but sends it over to Alexander-Arnold instead. He does goe for goal and drills a low effort agonisingly wide of the far post!

England 0-0 Finland

20:28 , Mike Jones

38 mins: England have been building up play nicely this evening. They’re passing it quick and have plenty of speedy willing runners. The tempo isn’t what Lee Carsley would like though, it’s quite slow at times.

England 0-0 Finland

20:22 , Mike Jones

35 mins: Chance!

Alexander-Arnold laces a corner over to Kane who brings it down with a one-touch past to Saka outside the box. Saka darts to the left then rattles off a shot that continues to rise and flies over the crossbar!

England 0-0 Finland

20:20 , Mike Jones

33 mins: Incredible from Artts Hoskonen!

Bukayo Saka makes a dart into the penalty area and is fed the ball. He drills it across the six-yard area were Harry Kane is waiting for a tap-in.

Hoskonen, the Finnish centre-back, turns back towards his own goal and leaps for the ball, stretchering out a leg to turn it wide of the post just before it reaches Kane.

Great defending.

Richard Jolly reporting from Wembley:

20:18 , Mike Jones

“Quite a sedate start at Wembley, certainly for the first 20 minutes. Harry Kane has come into it more in the last few, with a shot saved and a goal disallowed.

“England are looking a bit too open when Finland break, particularly Topi Keskinen, who has had a couple of opportunities. So far, certainly not as good a first half as it was against Ireland.”

 (Action Images via Reuters) (Action Images via Reuters)

(Action Images via Reuters)

England 0-0 Finland

20:17 , Mike Jones

30 mins: Saka delivers another corner ball and curls it inot the penalty area. Ezri Konsa raises higher than anyone else and looks for the header but he can’t reach it and the visitors clear it away.

England 0-0 Finland

20:15 , Mike Jones

27 mins: England are trying to hurry things along here. They’re moving the ball swiftly and slickly but are frustrated at the lack of space ahead of them.

It does feel as a matter of time before they score though.

England 0-0 Finland

20:11 , Mike Jones

23 mins: Disallowed!

England get the ball in the back of the net but it won’t count. It’s a simple cross from the right side of the pitch which picks out Harry Kane in the box.

He lunges at the ball and heads it past the goalkeeper but he timed his move slightly too early and gets flagged offside!

England 0-0 Finland

20:09 , Mike Jones

21 mins: Save!

A great move from England sets up Harry Kane with the first proper chance at goal. Angel Gomes is at the heart of it and dictates the play in order to create half a yard for Kane just inside the box.

He shoots and forces Hradecky into a sharp stop!

Finland then break forward and fly up the pitch. Topi Kesinen drives the ball up the pitch, carries it into the box then curls one wide of the far post.

England 0-0 Finland

20:06 , Mike Jones

18 mins: Gordon wins a corner after a cross is deflected behind. Trent Alexander-Arnold jogs over to take it and swings the ball into the middle of the penalty area.

Lucas Hradecky comes out and punches the ball away but Saka recovers it and England look to build another attack.

England 0-0 Finland

20:03 , Mike Jones

15 mins: Quarter of an hour played, no goals yet. England’s biggest threat is coming from the left side and the combination of Jack Grealish and Anthony Gordon.

Adam Stahl, the Finnish right -back, is having a torrid time trying to keep them quiet.

John Stones switches the play over to Bukayo Saka on the right wing. He cuts inside then flicks a pass into the box for Declan Rice making a run from deep.

Rice fizzes one across the six-yard area but no-one can get on the end of it.

England 0-0 Finland

20:00 , Mike Jones

12 mins: Finland are set up in two blocks with their two strikers tasked in holding England’s centre-backs from advancing. It’s a method designed to keep England out and as such there’s not much room for the Three Lions to play the ball quickly.

A rare foray up the pitch from the visitors sees Teemu Pukki sent into the box. He shoots but Rico Lewis tracks back well and forces the effort wide of the post.

England 0-0 Finland

19:55 , Mike Jones

8 mins: Gordon truly is enjoying himself. He dances past Adam Stahl once more and whips a left-footed shot into the box. Saka leaps to try and win the header but it flies over him and bounces through to Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Alexander-Arnold delivers another cross and it falls to Harry Kane who shoots and wins a corner.

England 0-0 Finland

19:52 , Mike Jones

5 mins: Nearly!

Anthony Gordon continues to cause problems. He leaves down the left side of the an dgets up to the penalty area before cutting back onto his right foot.

A cross is hung up to the back post where Harry Kane arrives and nods the ball into the six-yard area. Bukayo Saka is there but gets sandwiched between two centre-backs and Finland scramble the ball away.

England 0-0 Finland

19:50 , Mike Jones

3 mins: Angel Gomes gets his first touches on the ball. It’s his first start as a senior men’s player and he’ll be hoping to impress. Gomes knocks the ball to Declan Rice who squares a pass over to Rico Lewis playing at left-back.

Lewis strides forward and links up with Anthony Gordon. The Newcastle man takes on the closest defender but attempting a shot pass to Harry Kane.

Kane is waiting in the penalty area but it’s too congested and Finland work it clear.

Kick off! England 0-0 Finland

19:48 , Mike Jones

Finland get the ball rolling at Wembley with Glen Kamara kicking it back to goalkeeper Lucas Hradecky.

The ball is then booted over to the left wing but England win possession easily enough and switch the play out to Anthony Gordon on the opposite side of the pitch.

England vs Finland

19:43 , Mike Jones

Before the match kicks off Harry Kane is awarded a special golden cap. He becomes just the 10th man to receive one and it is an honour bestowed on those who have reached 100 appearances for England.

Next the national anthems are sung with Kane belting out the verse with gusto.

Kick off is up next…

England vs Finland

19:41 , Mike Jones

Here come the players.

Harry Kane leads out the Three Lions on what is his 100th appearance for the national team. He’s the leading goalscorer and the man desperate to win an international trophy.

The first aim will be to win this match tonight.

Lee Carsley explains why new roles for Cole Palmer and Phil Foden could give England more control

19:40 , Mike Jones

Lee Carsley believes England have to change their mindset to finally control midfield in elite international matches, hinting that he could even be willing to play Phil Foden or Cole Palmer in deeper roles. The interim manager insisted the country is producing players that can operate in that central area, despite long-term debate about the football culture producing proper No 6s.

Carsley was in a more expansive mood as he prepared for his second match as interim manager, against Finland at Wembley on Tuesday, insisting that the players shouldn’t call him “boss”. While he revealed he did speak to predecessor Gareth Southgate before taking the role, he also stated that he has only noticed slight changes in his life – like people telling him to pick certain players when at service stations.

Lee Carsley hints at new roles for Cole Palmer and Phil Foden to give England control

England vs Finland

19:35 , Mike Jones

Bukayo Saka completed six dribbles against Republic of Ireland last time out; his most in a single game for England to date (41st appearance).

Saka’s six completed dribbles accounted for half of his team’s total (6/12), as well as being more than Republic of Ireland’s players combined (5).

 (The FA via Getty Images) (The FA via Getty Images)

(The FA via Getty Images)

England vs Finland

19:30 , Mike Jones

Teemu Pukki has been directly involved in 12 goals in 18 appearances in the Nations League (eight goals and four assists), at least three times as many as any other player for Finland in the competition (Robin Lod, 4).

England vs Finland

19:25 , Mike Jones

Harry Kane will make his 100th appearance for England, which would see him become just the tenth player to reach a century of games for the men’s team, and first since Wayne Rooney in November 2014.

Only two players have scored in their 100th game for the Three Lions, with Rooney doing so versus Slovenia (2014) and Sir Bobby Charlton netting versus Northern Ireland in April 1970.

Pre-match thoughts from Lee Carsley

19:21 , Mike Jones

England’s interim manager Lee Carsley spoke to ITV before kick off and touched on the changes he’s made for this evening’s match.

He said: “It’s important we look forward to playing at home. Hopefully we can give the fans something good to see.

“Hopefully Angel Gomes will control the game and dictate the play. I have a lot of confidence in him. I have played Rico Lewis as left-back before and I have a lot of confidence.

“Jack Grealish and Anthony Gordon were excellent the other night. They get you up the pitch.”

England vs Finland

19:20 , Mike Jones

Lee Carsley’s first game in charge of England was a 2-0 victory over Republic of Ireland, while the last manager to win his first two competitive games was Fabio Capello in 2008.

Indeed, the only managers to win their first two competitive fixtures without conceding a goal are Steve McClaren (2006), Ron Greenwood (1977) and Joe Mercer (1974).

 (The FA via Getty Images) (The FA via Getty Images)

(The FA via Getty Images)

England vs Finland

19:15 , Mike Jones

Finland lost 0-3 against Greece in their previous outing, marking the second consecutive competitive match that they’ve lost by 3+ goals (1-4 v Wales previously).

This is the first time they’ve lost back-to-back competitive games by at least three goals since October-November 1989 (1-6 v Germany, 0-3 v Netherlands).

England vs Finland

19:10 , Mike Jones

England lost their final home game under Gareth Southgate, 0-1 in a friendly against Iceland – the Three Lions haven’t lost back-to-back matches on home soil since November 2013 under Roy Hodgson (to Chile and Germany).

England vs Finland

19:05 , Mike Jones

England will host Finland for the first time since a March 2001 World Cup qualifier, winning 2-1 in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s first competitive game in charge thanks to goals from Michael Owen and David Beckham.

England vs Finland

19:00 , Mike Jones

England are unbeaten in all eleven of their previous meetings with Finland (W9 D2), only facing Bulgaria more often without ever suffering defeat (P12 W8 D4).

England v Finland

18:55 , Mike Jones

England have played Finland 11 times at the men’s senior level. Their record is seriously impressive with nine wins, two draws and no defeats.

Can they improve that record tonight or will Finland get a first ever victory?

 (Mike Egerton/PA Wire) (Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

(Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

Kane to play for England ‘as long as he can’

18:50 , Mike Jones

“I love playing for England, when I was younger I loved watching England, I was a big England fan,” said Harry Kane ahead of his 100th England appearance.

“I never want to miss a camp, I don’t want to miss a game. I want to represent my county as long as I can. Whilst I’m still at the level I’m at, I know I can help this country to be successful.

“We came extremely close (at Euro 2024) of reaching our ultimate dream. It didn’t happen, but I know I can help this team get back there at the World Cup in two years. Not just help in terms of on the pitch, but my experiences off it as well.”

Harry Kane keen to play for England ‘as long as I can’ ahead of 100th cap

18:45 , Mike Jones

Harry Kane says he wants to play for England “as long as I can” as he prepares for his 100th senior international appearance against Finland on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old is set to become England’s 10th centurion when he leads the team out at Wembley in the Nations League, and believes he can still help the team to a major international title following their Euro 2024 disappointment.

He scored 79 seconds into his England career against Lithuania in March 2015, and 99 caps later the Bayern Munich striker hopes there is more to come as the senior men’s team chase a first tournament success in 58 years.

Harry Kane keen to play for England ‘as long as I can’ ahead of 100th cap

Finland line-up to face England

18:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

Finland manager Markku Kanerva is free from injury worries, with former Rangers man Glen Kamara retaining his spot in the forward line, while former Norwich striker Teemu Pukki comes in to a changed attack in place of Benjamin Kallman.

Finland XI: Hradecky; Stahl, Hoskonen, Ivanov, Uronen; Peltola, Schuller, Kamara; Jensen, Keskinen; Pukki.

England make four changes

18:40 , Mike Jones

Lee Carsley has made four changes to the England starting XI with three of the back four changing. Out go Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire and Levi Colwill and in come Ezri Konsa, John Stones and Rico Lewis.

In midfield Kobbie Mainoo has also been replaced with Angel Gomes who makes his first senior start for the Three Lions tonight.

England line-ups ot face Finland

18:36 , Mike Jones

England XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Konsa, Lewis; Gomes, Rice, Grealish; Saka, Kane, Gordon

Key talking points as England face Finland

18:30 , Mike Jones

Remembering Sven

The match against Finland is England’s first home game since the death of popular former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The Swede, who led the team at three major international tournaments from 2001 to 2006, died at the age of 76 on August 26 after suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Players will wear black armbands, just as they did in Ireland, and there will be a period of applause ahead of kick-off on a night when the deaths of Craig Shakespeare, Kevin Campbell and Tommy Banks will also be acknowledged.

Key talking points as England face Finland

18:25 , Mike Jones

England changes on the cards

While Carsley will not take beating Finland for granted, the interim boss is planning some changes for Tuesday’s match.

The 50-year-old says he wants to “freshen the team up a little bit” and plans two or three alterations as he balances team and player needs. Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke will be hoping to make their debuts having seen Angel Gomes and Morgan Gibbs-White win their first caps off the bench on Saturday.

John Stones, a late introduction at the Aviva Stadium, will surely come into the defence.

Key talking points as England face Finland

18:20 , Mike Jones

Carsley’s first Wembley match

Lee Carsley leads England at Wembley for the first time, three days on from starting his interim reign with an encouraging 2-0 win away to the Republic of Ireland, who he represented as a player.

The England Under-21s boss has never coached at the national stadium before and wants to excite fans in their first match there since losing June’s Euro 2024 send-off friendly against Iceland.

“I think it’s important that we’re exciting to watch,” Carsley said on the eve of the game. “I think when fans come to watch England play at home they expect attacking football, they expect chances to be created and to play with a tempo and us to be on the ball.”

Key talking points as England face Finland

18:15 , Mike Jones

Kane becomes a centurion

Tuesday’s match will see skipper Harry Kane join an elite band of players to have won 100 senior caps for England.

The striker has come a long way since his goalscoring debut against Lithuania in March 2015, going on to break the all-time national scoring record set by Wayne Rooney – the last player to reach a century of appearances a decade ago.

Kane currently sits on 66 goals and you would be a brave man to back against him celebrating reaching this latest milestone by adding to that tally on Tuesday, when the England captain will be presented with a golden cap before kick-off.

Harry Kane interview: ‘Practising finishing on the training pitch is my happy place’

18:10 , Mike Jones

There are moments when Harry Kane is watching younger players conduct a modern finishing session and starts to get irritated.

“The ball comes to you, you take a touch and finish… it’s not really realistic,” he says. “I try and do realistic training where it’s game scenarios, bobbly ball, half a second to swivel and hit, crosses that have been whipped in at fast tempo. It helps separate the good players and the top players.”

Such realistic sessions have also helped lead to what Kane himself calls “unrealistic” targets.

One of those was 100 caps for England, which the 31-year-old will celebrate when he starts Tuesday’s Nations League match against Finland at Wembley. That’s the reason he is sitting down with media at England’s base this week, the Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre, but he’s reflecting on a lot more than the route here. That’s because the early doubts about him were much stronger than whether he would get even a handful of caps, let alone become England’s 10th centurion.

Harry Kane interview: ‘Practising finishing on the training pitch is my happy place’

Kane’s top 10 England moments ahead of 100th cap

18:05 , Mike Jones

2. A goal to put England in their first final since ‘66

By the time the semi-finals of Euro 2020 came around, the entirety of the country was gripped by football fever as Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions stood on the brink of the tournament’s final, which was to be held at Wembley.

The draw had opened up for England but Denmark would be no pushovers, as England found out when Mikkel Damsgaard gave the Scandinavians the lead in the 30th minute. A Simon Kjaer own goal levelled the contest, but it went all the way to extra-time at a tense Wembley.

England won a late penalty in the 104th minute, and Kane stepped up once more. Kasper Schemiechel was equal to him on this occasion, though the rebound fell nicely to the Englishman and he bundled it in to put his country in their first final since 1966.

1. World Cup golden boot

Though the single goals and individual moments are perhaps the more memorable highlights of Kane’s career, arguably his biggest achievement is the golden boot won at the 2018 World Cup.

The tournament may not have finished with a trophy for England, but the players had restored the feel-good feeling to the England team and there was plenty of hope for the future. To add to that, Kane received the golden boot for his six goals in Russia, and put his name on a list of era-defining players including Ronaldo, Thomas Muller, Gary Lineker and Miroslav Klose.

Kane’s top 10 England moments ahead of 100th cap

18:00 , Mike Jones

4. First World Cup and goals in the opener

Kane entered the 2018 World Cup having cemented his place among the world’s best, though hopes for England to go far in the competition were far from high among fans back home. A fairly tepid display in the opening match against Tunisia did little to boost the confidence, until Kane squeezed in a 91st-minute winner for his second goal of the game to get England off to a good start in Russia.

3. Breaking the record

England had little time to recover from the disappointment of the 2022 World Cup loss, and before long they were in action again as they met Italy – who had beaten them in heartbreaking fashion in the final of Euro 2020 – in the qualifiers for Euro 2024.

Kane stepped up to take a penalty in the 44th minute and lashed it past Gianluigi Donnarumma to give England a 2-0 lead. The match ended 2-1 in a notable win for England on Italian soil, but it will forever be more notable for Kane, as his goal made him England’s top scorer of all time, overtaking Wayne Rooney to sit alone on 54 goals for the Three Lions.

Kane’s top 10 England moments ahead of 100th cap

17:55 , Mike Jones

6. A second successive semi-final

England had done brilliantly at the 2018 World Cup, and at the delayed Euro 2020 provided another chance for the Three Lions to shine, with several matches – including the final – played at Wembley.

They were heavily fancied against Ukraine as the two sides met at the quarter-final stage in July 2021, and the Three Lions delivered on their early promise by putting four goals past their opponents.

Kane beat the offside trap and slid in to score the first goal, adding a header later on as England won 4-0 and the captain put to bed any doubts about his form and current ability.

5. A goal to silence the old enemy

Questions had started to be asked over Kane’s involvement at Euro 2020 as the first three matches came and went without the England captain having scored a goal.

As the Three Lions lined up against Germany in the round of 16, the country held its breath as an even match provided chances for both sides, before Raheem Sterling scored late to give England a narrow lead.

And in the 86th minute, a counter-attack found its way to Jack Grealish on the wing, and the Manchester City man played an inviting ball into the box that Kane obligingly headed past Manuel Neuer to spark bedlam at a half-full Wembley.

Kane’s top 10 England moments ahead of 100th cap

17:50 , Mike Jones

8. 50th England goal

Though he was chasing the record, which stood at 53 goals at this point in June 2022, Kane’s 50th goal for his country remained an important milestone, and he scored it in a 1-1 draw against Germany in Munich.

He became just the second player, after Rooney, to score 50 goals for the Three Lions when he slotted a penalty in the 88th minute.

7. Equalling England’s goalscoring record

Kane entered the 2022 World Cup with his status among the world’s best fully secured, and with Rooney’s record as all-time England top scorer in his sights.

The Three Lions met defending champions France at the quarter-final stage in Qatar, and in a time game in which Les Bleus had taken the lead in the first half, Kane equalised from the spot in the 54th minute after Bukayo Saka was brought down in the box.

This goal marked Kane’s 53rd for his country, and he became England’s joint-top goalscorer of all time. Unfortunately for the captain, it wasn’t to be his night in the end, as he missed from the spot in the 84th minute and England eventually lost 2-1.

Kane’s top 10 England moments ahead of 100th cap

17:45 , Mike Jones

10. Start as you mean to go on

Harry Kane burst onto the scene at Spurs with a run of brilliant goalscoring form, and he was quickly called up to Roy Hodgson’s side for the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

He made his debut against Lithuania in March 2015, replacing Wayne Rooney as a 72nd-minute substitute, and took just 79 seconds to make his mark, scoring a header for the final goal of England’s 4-0 win.

9. Made captain after just two years

As Kane’s impressive form at club level continued, he quickly became a key component of the England team, and before long he found himself captaining the side.

The then-Spurs man wore the armband for the first time in June 2017, against Scotland in a qualifier for the 2018 World Cup. England had gone 2-0 down, but the captain completed the comeback with a stoppage-time goal to make it 2-2.

By the time the World Cup came round, Kane had established himself as England captain, and he led the Three Lions in Russia.

Harry Kane gives his reaction to reaching 100 caps for England

17:40 , Mike Jones

“When you look at the list [of players with 100 caps] it is a list of some our greatest players,” said Harry Kane, according by the BBC. “I’m sure when I’m retired I’ll look back on this with immense pride.”

Kane also revealed his next aim will be trying to reach 100 goals. He is already England’s all-time top scorer with 66 goals in 99 appearances in an almost-decade long career that started with his first cap in March 2015.

“I’ve done around 15, 16, 17 caps a year whereas a normal year would be 10,” he added, “The goals were similar. I felt I was on 30 goals and then I went to 50 and then 60.

“It is definitely there and definitely possible. I feel like I am in a good place and these are good targets to try to reach.

“Some people may see them as unrealistic but I would rather go for something unrealistic and not quite make it rather than be comfortable just saying I will be happy with 70 or 80 goals.”

Harry Kane wears golden boots before reaching special milestone

17:35 , Mike Jones

Harry Kane was sporting a pair of golden boots at England training on Monday ahead of making his 100th appearance for the national side.

Only nine players have reached 100 caps for England before Kane, and the Bayern Munich forward is expected to lead his side out in the Nations League match against Finland on Tuesday.

The Football Association are planning a pre-match ceremony which will include a golden cap presentation.

Harry Kane wears golden boots before reaching special milestone

England vs Finland prediction

17:30 , Mike Jones

England will be looking to build on last week’s positive result against Ireland, with plenty of players looking to impress as they look to cement a place in the squad under Carsley.

Finland lost 3-0 to Greece last time out, so the Three Lions should find it straightforward to grab a comfortable win at home and get the interim manager’s tenure off to the perfect start.

England 3-0 Finland.

Latest odds and predicted line-ups

17:25 , Mike Jones

Here’s how we think England and Finland will line-up against each other this evening:

England XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Guehi, Colwill; Mainoo, Rice, Grealish; Saka, Kane, Gordon.

Finland XI: Hradecky; Stahl, Hoskonen, Ivanov, Galvez; Peltola, Schuller; Lod, Kamara, Antman; Kallman.

As for the latest odds, England are the overwhelming favourites to win with Finland as high as 14/1 to spring a surprise on the Three Lions at Wembley. The latests odds:

England 1/10

Draw 11/2

Finland 14/1

Finland early team news

17:20 , Mike Jones

Finland manager Markku Kanerva is also free from injury worries, with former Rangers man Glen Kamara likely to retain his spot in the forward line, and former Norwich striker Teemu Pukki likely to be benched again in favour of Benjamin Kallman.

England early team news

17:15 , Mike Jones

Lee Carsley has no fresh injury concerns to consider after the Ireland match, so all he needs to decide is whether he wants to go with continuity or experiment with some new faces. Harry Kane will start as the captain becomes the 10th man to win 100 caps for England.

Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Saka and Kane are the only concrete names on the teamsheet in this squad, though impressive performances from Jack Grealish and Anthony Gordon should have cemented their places for now.

Maguire and Guehi were solid at the back last week, but John Stones is still England’s best defender, so it remains to be seen whether Carsley will go with Southgate’s preferred pairing of Stones and Maguire, or if he may choose the left-footed Guehi as Stones’ ideal partner.

There is space for Tino Livramento to replace Colwill at left-back, though the Chelsea man was also assured in his performance last week. Carsley may look to experiment with Angel Gomes in midfield over Kobbie Mainoo too.

How can I watch it?

17:10 , Mike Jones

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on ITV1. Subscribers will also be able to watch via ITVX online and on the app.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

When is England vs Finland?

17:05 , Mike Jones

England vs Finland kicks off at 7.45pm BST on Tuesday 10 September at Wembley Stadium in London.

 (The FA via Getty Images) (The FA via Getty Images)

(The FA via Getty Images)

England vs Finland

17:00 , Mike Jones

England host Finland at Wembley in the second match of their 2025 Nations League campaign, with the Three Lions looking to build on a positive result last time out.

Lee Carsley took charge of his first match in the interim role last week, and his new-look side produced a positive performance as they easily dismantled Ireland in Dublin.

Despite receiving plenty of pre-match attention for his squad announcement and his opinion on singing the national anthem, Carsley quickly put that to bed as his side produced a first-half attacking performance full of intent and innovation, with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish – both on the receiving end of plenty of boos throughout – producing brilliant moments to effectively seal the result within the first 45 minutes.

England will be confident of putting in a similarly dominant performance at home to Iceland, with plenty of intrigue surrounding the team’s performance and potential debuts for Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke.

Good evening!

15:58 , Mike Jones

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Nations League action as England take on Finland at Wembley.

Fresh off the back of their 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland, Lee Carsely’s Three Lions will be hoping to build on a positive display and dominant display over the Irish which saw Jack Grealish and Declan Rice score the only goals of the game.

Captain Harry Kane is set to win his 100th cap for England and will join an exclusive club of centurions which features the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham.

For their part, Finland were beaten 3-0 in their opening group fixture against Greece and face a difficult challenge in London this evening.

We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the night so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.

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