Jack Grealish opened the scoring for England as they secured a 3-1 victory over Finland in the Nations League on Sunday. Meanwhile, Austria dominated Erling Haaland’s Norway, winning 5-1.
Grealish put England ahead in the first half, followed by a stunning free-kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Declan Rice added a third late in the game before Finland’s Arttu Hoskonen scored a consolation goal.
Interim manager Lee Carsley made several changes following England’s recent loss to Greece, opting for a more familiar lineup. “The team responded really well,” Carsley told ITV. “We played with a lot more control, had massive possession, and created chances. But we can still improve.”
England’s first goal came after an 18th-minute 17-pass sequence, with Grealish finishing off a clever assist from Angel Gomes. Despite several chances, Finland couldn’t beat Dean Henderson, and Alexander-Arnold doubled England’s lead with a 25-yard free-kick in the 74th minute. Rice then finished off Ollie Watkins’ cross with six minutes left, securing England’s third win in four Group B2 matches. Finland remain at the bottom of the table after their fourth consecutive defeat.
Elsewhere, Greece maintained their lead at the top of the group with a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Athens, while Austria crushed Norway 5-1 in Linz, keeping Haaland quiet throughout. Marko Arnautovic led Austria with a brace, while Haaland’s only notable chance came early in the game when his shot hit the post.
Slovenia also earned a narrow 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan, setting up an intense fight for the top spots in Group B3. Looking ahead, Belgium will face 2021 Nations League champions France, and Germany will take on the Netherlandsin Munich.