That’s it for tonight. I’ll leave you with Dave Hytner’s match report – goodnight.
Updated
More from Jude Bellingham
We were massively disappointed with Saturday’s performance. It’s a great mentality to have: never being satisfied, never making excuses and always trying to improve. We don’t see each other often so results like help to build camaraderie.
The remarkable Jude Bellingham speaks to Channel 4
I wasn’t happy with how I played in Poland against Ukraine. Tonight I was motivated to get back to my best, and I think that was close to it. It was more than a friendly – it means so much to the fans, for bragging rights and all those kinds of things, and I wanted the England fans to go home happy.
[On his goalscoring spurt] If you look at my performances in Madrid so far, they’re quite complete because I’ve been given freedom by the amazing teammates, coaching staff and manager that I’ve got. They allow me to go all over the pitch – to help in the build-up, to create and to get in the box to finish chanced. I can do all of that pretty well. I can still do a lot better, and that’s what I’m trying to prove to you all.
[What’s your favourite role with England?] I think today was close to it. It depends on the system we play. It’s tough because we’ve got so many amazing players to accommodate and get the best out of, so it shouldn’t be built around what I do really well.
The team always comes first. I do my best to try to slot in and do what the gaffer wants from me. Tonight was probably a bit better suited than the weekend [laughs] but, erm, no hints to the gaffer! I really enjoyed playing in that position.
[On his assist for Harry Kane] I got the ball from Dec and then turned. I went the long way round and tried to use my body. I saw the goal open up, then at the last minute I thought if I could feint as if I was going to have a shot that I’d commit a body, then I could slip into H. He’s always in the right place, and it was more his positioning that allowed me to give him the ball.
At the start of the decade, Jude Bellingham was earning £145 a week.
Scotland didn’t qualify for Euro 2024 either
On Channel 4, Graeme Souness, aged 70, says “this is the strongest England group I’ve ever seen”. There are still a few imperfections – and they’ve still never beaten a world-class team in a knockout game outside England, which is a significant mental block – but it does feel like a tournament win is coming.
“Ok, so it wasn’t a tournament game, and that Bellingham’s a bit good, but I’m worried by how casual the Scotland defence looked first half,” writes James Humphries. “And, mark my words, Gunn’s got a disastrous rick in him sooner rather than later. Disagree about ‘different league’, though – mighty England have managed, what, two draws and a win in the last three meetings, and that win in a... ‘friendly’.”
Pick a combined XI; how many Scotland players would get in? I should strss that I say this as a neutral.
“The difference for Maguire with England as opposed to with United is that he has solid achievements behind him,” writes Philip. “He scored an own goal and England fans had his corner - ‘Harry Maguire, he’s winning 3-1’.”
I thought he was generally very good for United in his first two seasons, although even then he was never a crowd favourite.
For three-quarters of the game, England played with authority, dynamism and just the right amount of arrogance. Phil Foden and the outstanding Jude Bellingham put them 2-0 up at half-time and, though they lost their way at the start of the second half, Harry Maguire’s unforunate own goal snapped them back into focus. Bellingham soon made the third for Harry Kane, and that was that.
Scotland didn’t do themselves justice. They were arguably too meek until they went 2-0 down, and Andy Robertson made a horrible mistake for Bellingham’s goal. It was just a bad night.
Full time: Scotland 1-3 England
Peep peep! We came to praise international football’s oldest rivalry; alas, England decided to bury it. Their emphatic victory was a reminder that the football world has changed, and that England are in a different league to Scotland now (the Nations League notwithstanding).
90+2 min “The most affecting moment from the Graham Taylor documentary The Impossible Job was when he turns to the crowd who are piling into John Barnes and reminds them that it’s human beings out there on the pitch,” says Tom Atkins. “Taylor wasn’t a good England manager but he was a good man. Southgate, who does a reasonable job of both things, could do with reminding some people of that.”
Yeah, it’s gone way too far now. This has been going on, pretty much, since Euro 2021 (when he was in the team of the tournament).
90+1 min Three minutes of added time.
90 min “I’m sticking by what I said after their draw at the weekend: England will be ok,” says Simon McMahon. “Reality check for Scotland tonight, though qualification for a second consecutive Euro finals is almost guaranteed. And will be more straightforward than the last time, which produced one of the all-time great post-match interviews from Ryan Christie.”
89 min: Scotland substitution x2 Nathan Patterson and Ryan Jack replace Aaron Hickey and Callum McGregor.
88 min It can be hard to contextualise a friendly/scrimmage/Hegelian dialectic, but in the moment this feels like one of England’s better performances under Gareth Southgate. Bellingham’s development into a proper, attacking midfielder, not just a dominant No8, gives them an even greater chance of winning Euro 2024.
85 min Bellingham was frighteningly good. He could – and I can’t stress the word ‘could’ enough – become England’s greatest ever player; he’s that good, and crucially he seems to have the temperament to do whatever it takes to dominate world football for the next 10-15 years.
84 min: Double substitution for England Callum Wilson and Conor Gallagher replace Harry Kane, who gives the armband to Harry Maguire, and Jude Bellingham.
82 min: Double substitution for Scotland Lewis Ferguson and Stuart Armstrong replace Kieran Tierney and John McGinn.
Bellingham, who has been magnificent, made the goal. He swerved away from Christie, 30 yards from goal, drew Tierney and slipped a disguised pass through to Kane in the area. Kane got the wrong side of Robertson, took a touch and finished expertly with his left foot. That’s a really fine goal.
GOAL! Scotland 1-3 England (Kane 81)
Harry Kane settles the match with a superb goal.
Updated
80 min Maguire is still being cheered every time he gets the ball. His mental strength, to endure this level of ridicule and still play at a decent level, is pretty remarkable. I know I wouldn’t last five minutes, never mind two or three years. The level of abuse he has received since Euro 2021 is scandalous.
Updated
79 min Rice’s good cross is turned behind by Hickey, with Kane waiting behind him. England have regained control of the game. Apart from a 20-minute spell after half time when they became a bit complacent, they’ve been extremely good tonight.
Updated
78 min The last English player to win the Ballon d’Or was Michael Owen in 2001. Use this fact at dinner parties while you can, because Jude Bellingham will soon make it obsolete.
76 min Tierney is booked for pulling back Saka.
75 min That Scotland goal has woken England up. Bellingham slaloms elegantly past three players as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, then rams a low left-footed shot that takes a slight deflection and is kicked away by Gunn at the near post.
74 min: Kane has a goal disallowed It was a clear foul, a push on Tierney, though he finished emphatically.
73 min: Fine save from Gunn! Eze almost scores immediately. Walker, in his own half, clipped a terrific flat pass over the Scotland defence. Eze controlled it majestically on the run, but Gunn flew from his line to block the shot.
Updated
72 min: Double substitution for England Ebere Eze and Bukayo Saka replace Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden, who were extremely good in the first half and a bit unfocussed in the second.
71 min: Chance for Scotland! A brilliant cross from Robertson is headed wide by McGinn at the near post. In fact, replays show McGinn mistimed his stooping header, with the ball hitting his shoulder and flying wide.
69 min Robertson’s cross is headed across goal and wide by the stretching Dykes. Hampden has come alive.
Poor Harry Maguire’s year gets worse. Scotland broke quickly after that overhit Bellingham cross, with Robertson on the right wing for some reason. He surged away from Trippier, into the area, and slid a low right-footed cross that was turned into his own net by Maguire at the near post. He had to go for the ball, but in doing so he wrongfooted Ramsdale.
Updated
GOAL! Scotland 1-2 England (Maguire 67 og)
Scotland are back in it!
Updated
67 min Bellingham overhits a cross that goes over the bar. England have lacked focus in attack since half-time.
65 min Hickey plays a nice give-and-go with McGinn, shifts the ball onto his left foot and drills a shot that is well blocked by the stretching Dunk. He’s also had a very good game.
64 min Christie shoots wide from 25 yards. He’s been quite bright since coming on.
63 min Kalvin Phillips has quietly had a good game tonight. I’ve no idea what the moral of this particularly story should be.
62 min Scotland have had more of the ball in the second half, though it’s all been front of England. We’ve still had only two shots on target in the whole match.
61 min “Clearly I’m a tactical genius,” says James Humphries. “Now, next: score three goals.”
60 min: Double substitution for Scotland Lyndon Dykes and Ryan Christie replaces Che Adams and Billy Gilmour.
59 min “Nice photo of the Don (Revie) at the end of one of his last games as England boss,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Who knew then he’d be blazing a trail to the Middle East, decades ahead of football’s marketers, as always? Of course, there was no such thing as sportswashing in the age of Dirty Leeds and Scottish turfcutters at Wembley. Strangely however, Rod Stewart’s hair remains exactly the same.”
Updated
57 min Aside from the ongoing dehumanisation of Harry Maguire – that crap really needs to stop - it’s been a quiet start to the second half on and off the field. Scotland can’t lay a glove on England.
Updated
55 min “Bring on big Lyndy, I reckon,” says James Humphries. “Man’s never met a lost cause he didn’t want to chase, and Adams has been kept pretty quiet so far.”
He’s about to come on along with Ryan Christie.
53 min McGregor curls a dangerous pass towards Robertson at the far post. Walker stoops to head away. Meanwhile, every pass Harry Maguire plays is being sarcastically cheered.
Updated
50 min Tierney’s long throw isn’t cleared properly by Rashford. It goes to Gilmour on the edge of the D, but he can’t wrap his foot round the ball and the shot goes high and wide.
49 min A speculative 20-yarder from McGinn hits his teammate Adams and flies behind for a goalkick.
47 min Foden overhits an angled through pass to Bellingham, who made a good run off Tierney and would have been through on goal.
47 min “I used to think Trevor Brooking had the best cushioned take of a through ball with left or right foot of any English player I’d seen, but Phil Foden’s left foot is purely magical,” writes Brian Withington. “How he doesn’t start every game for City and England simply mystifies me. I get the slight impression he might be getting a bit tired of it, too.”
The truth is out there, though I’m buggered if I know what it is.
46 min Peep peep!
Half-time substitution Marc Guehi is replaced by Harry Maguire.
“Scotland’s kit font, unlike their defending, is impeccable,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Meanwhile, those England shirt numbers look like duct tape affixed by the kitman at the back of the bus on the way to Hampden. England may be dominating this on substance, but Scotland are the clear winners on style tonight.”
Twas ever thus.
Half time: Scotland 0-2 England
Phil Foden’s cross just evades Harry Kane at the far post, an apt note on which to end a sadly one-sided half. England, played with a kind of snooty excellence, dominated throughout. Foden and Jude Bellingham scored the goals, Bellingham after a grisly howler from Andy Robertson, and the Scotland defence found it increasingly hard to cope with an unusually dynamic England attack.
Neutrals hoped that, after a couple of decades of irrelevance, the Scotland/England rivalry might be back. Looks like we were wrong.
Updated
45 min A third goal in Milan. England are going to win the group, barring something peculiar, but tonight’s game between Italy and Ukraine might decide who joins them in automatic qualification.
44 min The corner is half cleared. Hendry puts the ball back in the area and McTominay is penalised for a push on Guehi.
42 min Robertson’s free-kick is headed behind for a corner by Dunk, who has been good on set-pieces. This is Scotland’s best spell, and Steve Clarke must be frustrated that they needed to go 2-0 down for it to happen.
41 min: It’s kicking off (in the modern style)! Phillips is booked for going through the back of Adams – an unwitting homage to Begbie’s tackle at the start of Trainspotting – and then Bellingham and Hendry start pushing each other in the chest. They’re both booked.
40 min There’s been a second goal in Oslo, and indeed in Milan.
38 min Bellingham leads a very dangerous England break, galloping down the left – but for once he gets it wrong and plays the ball behind Rashford. With a better pass, Rashford would have been in on goal.
Updated
37 min Scotland appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when a low cross deflects onto the arm of the falling Guehi. VAR has a quick look and then play resumes.
The goal machine Jude Bellingham has put England 2-0 up after a dreadful mistake from Andy Robertson. Bellingham started the move by finding the overlapping Foden on the left. He curled a wicked cross that flashed across the six-yard box, hit the unsighted Kane and deflected to Robertson. He tried to play a pass across his own area but gave the ball straight to Bellingham, who swept an emphatic first-time drive past Gunn.
Updated
GOAL! Scotland 0-2 England (Bellingham 35)
Oh, Scotland.
Updated
Bellingham, in the D, threaded a clever pass through the eye of a needle to find Rashford. The presence of Robertson meant Rashford couldn’t shoot, so instead he poked the ball across the area to Walker. He smashed a cross-shot that was going well wide until Foden, six yards out, opened his body to steer it into the net.
At first I thought Walker’s shot just hit Foden, but actually he adjusted his feet with dizzying speed. What a fine finish. I wondered whether Rashford was offside when Bellingham played the ball through to him; he wasn’t and the goal stands.
Updated
GOAL! Scotland 0-1 England (Foden 32)
As I said, a goal was in the post. (Though it might be offside.)
Updated
31 min Scotland work the ball nicely down the left, only for Tierney to overhit his cross.
31 min England continue to boss the game. I can’t decide whether a) a goal is in the post or b) it’s the same, slightly sterile domination we saw against Ukraine on Saturday. You’re welcome!
29 min There’s been a goal in Norway v Georgia, and indeed in Italy v Ukraine. You can find out more, should you desire, with Michael Butler.
27 min Bellingham waves a delicious pass with the outside of the boot to release Walker on the right. He fires a first-time cross towards Kane that is crucially cut out by Hendry at the near post. Another corner to England, of which nothing comes.
25 min The impressive Rashford plays a fine angled pass to release Bellingham on the left side of the area. His cross on the run clears everyone in the middle but is collected by Walker on the far side of the box. He chests the ball down and cuts across a shot that goes a few yards wide of the far post.
Updated
21 min Still no shots on target at either end. England have been much better in possession, though Steve Clarke will have budgeted for that. The Spain victory in March, when Scotland had 25 per cent possession, is their template.
Updated
20 min Now Kane drops deep to release Rashford, but on this occasion he’s slightly offside. The attack is allowed to play itself out before the flag goes up.
18 min: Chance for England! Rashford is starting to cause Scotland a few problems. Phillips lobs a terrific pass over the defence to release him on the left. He moves into the area and slides a square pass to Foden, who screws a shot high over the bar.
Foden is normally good at those first-time finishes as the ball comes across his body; I can think of one in the derby in 2021-22 and another at Chelsea in the Covid season.
17 min “Brilliant from Dion Dublin on C4 – we learn that Rashford has a left foot and… a right foot,” says Steve Bradfield. “Thank goodness for that.”
After the last – gulp – 19 years, I don’t think I’m in any position to criticise anybody for saying something daft during a live commentary.
16 min Robertson curls the ball to the far post, where Dunk does well to get in front of Porteous and win the header. It loops up in the air and Phillips completes the clearance.
15 min Rice is penalised for handball 30 yards from goal. Robertson is over the ball…
12 min The last man Porteous comes across to make a crucial tackle on Kane, who had escaped Tierney and Hendry.
11 min Robertson gets the crowd going by pressing Walker to win a throw-in. The more emotional the game is, the better for Scotland.
10 min England are dominating possession, as they do against most teams these days. Imagine if you went into a coma in 2003 and emerged to see England players passing the ball to one another all the time.
8 min “Might I suggest the American term ‘scrimmage’ to describe this game?” says Harriet Osborn. “I find it better communicates the feeling around these rather optimistically named ‘friendlies’.”
If Scott Murray ever takes over from Gianni Infantino – and what a wonderful world that would be – they’ll be called Hegelian dialectics.
7 min Foden’s inswinging corner is headed over by Dunk at the far post. He had to jump backwards so it wasn’t much of a chance.
6 min Rashford tries to run Porteous, who concedes another corner. That leads to a third, this time back on the right…
4 min Trippier drives a flat corner to the unmarked Rice beyond the far post. He lifts an up and under back across goal and Gunn comes through the crowd to punch clear.
3 min Walker runs Robertson to win the first corner. England have started well.
1 min Peep peep! Billy Gilmour gets the match under way, with Scotland kicking from left to right as we watch.
The two sets of players gather round the centre circle for a minute’s silence in honour of Craig Brown, the last Scotland manager to beat England, and those who have died in Morocco and Libya. It’s abysmally observed.
Yeah, this ain’t no friendly. The atmosphere is fantastic.
“If one wanted to listen to the game on the radio this evening, both BBC Radios 5 and Scotland are available,” writes Brian Cloughley. “So, where can I find the Scott Murray MBM? (Only kidding, doubtless you’ll do a wonderful job.)”
For Scott’s MBM, you need to have been sitting on a particular bar stool since midday.
(I jest, he’s on holiday.)
Here come the players. It’s not quite Murrayfield 1990, but there’s still a very lively atmosphere. As I type, the England national anthem is one long tribute to Joe Root.
Updated
From the archive
This piece is 10 years old, but Scott Murray on the Scotland national team is worth reading at any time.
“Ewan Murray’s column on the gulf between the Scottish national team and its top-tier league could be written about many other countries as well,” says Joe Pearson. “Croatia, for example, has one of the strongest squads in the world, but only THREE members of the entire team play in the Croatian league. Similar could be said about Switzerland. It’s just that the Big Five European Leagues suck up all the available talent. No solace to Scottish Premiership fans, but that’s the way it is. And don’t get me started about MLS.”
“Kudos to the Brighton captain on earning a spot in the England starting XI today but I’ve got a piece of advice for him,” says Peter Oh. “Do not use the nickname Big Dunk.”
Updated
Pre-match reading (part 2)
Pre-match reading
Euro 2024 qualifying
There are games in both Scotland and England’s groups tonight. There’s an outside chance Scotland will qualify for Euro 2024 tonight, though it would need Georgia to draw away to Erling Haaland.
Group A
Spain v Cyprus
Norway v Georgia
Group C
Italy v Ukraine
Malta v North Macedonia
Updated
Team news: Dunk, Ramsdale start
Scotland are unchanged; England are much changed. More than half the team that started against Ukraine on Saturday have been rotated/dropped. Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Dunk, Kieran Trippier, Kalvin Phillips, Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford replace Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell, Jordan Henderson, Bukayo Saka and James Maddison. It’s a big night for Dunk in particular: his second England cap, and his first appearance in five years.
Scotland (3-4-2-1) Gunn; Porteous, Hendry, Tierney; Hickey, Gilmour, McGregor, Robertson; McTominay, McGinn; Adams.
Substitutes: McCrorie, Clark, Souttar, Dykes, Christie, McKenna, S Armstrong, Ferguson, Nisbet, Jack, Patterson, McLean, Shankland.
England (possible 4-1-2-3) Ramsdale; Walker, Dunk, Guehi, Trippier; Rice; Phillips, Bellingham; Foden, Kane, Rashford.
Substitutes: Chilwell, Johnstone, Henderson, Maguire, Tomori, Saka, Eze, Colwill, Maddison, Gallagher, Pickford, Wilson, Nketiah.
Referee Davide Massa (Italy).
Updated
Tonight’s game is a celebration of international football’s oldest rivalry. Scotland and England first met each other 151 years ago, hence tonight’s 150th Anniversary Heritage Match. The actual anniversary was 30 November 2022, slap bang in the middle of the World Cup, and happily the delay has enhanced the fixture.
Last November, Scotland were merely Scotland. Now they are Scotland, the team that can’t stop winning football matches. They’ve won all five of their Euro 2024 qualifiers and are in the top tier of the Nations League, which puts them two up on England. A first win over England since 1999 – and a first worthwhile victory since 1985 – would turn a very good year into a piece of Latin. England will have other ideas.
With so many competing demands, it’s hard to know exactly how much this rivalry means in 2023. The first 50/50 ball should enhance our understanding.
Kick off 7.45pm.
Updated
Preamble
It’s Scotland v England at Hampden. There’s your preamble!
The stage is set 🏟️#SCOENG pic.twitter.com/oO60vo9gnx
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 12, 2023
