England returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Finland in the Nations League on Sunday, while Austria thrashed Norway 5-1, keeping Erling Haaland quiet throughout the match. England, still recovering from their recent loss to Greece at Wembley, showcased a much-improved performance under interim manager Lee Carsley. Goals from Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Declan Rice secured the win, with Finland’s Arttu Hoskonen netting a late consolation.
Jack Grealish opened the scoring in the 18th minute, capping off a brilliant 17-pass sequence, set up by Angel Gomes. Despite Finland creating several chances, they struggled to trouble England’s goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Alexander-Arnold, playing at left-back, doubled the lead in the 74th minute with a stunning 25-yard free-kick. Declan Rice finished the scoring by converting an Ollie Watkins cross with six minutes remaining. England now sits second in Group B2, while Finland remains rooted at the bottom without a win.
Elsewhere in the group, Greece maintained their lead with a 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland. Tasos Bakasetas scored from the edge of the box early in the second half, and Petros Mantalos added another in stoppage time, securing Greece’s fourth consecutive win. The match was overshadowed by the recent tragic death of English-born Greek international George Baldock.
In another standout performance, Austria overwhelmed Norway with a 5-1 victory in Linz. Marko Arnautovic scored twice, with Philipp Lienhart, Stefan Posch, and Michael Gregoritsch also finding the net for Austria. Despite a first-half equaliser from Alexander Sorloth, Norway couldn’t cope with Austria’s dominance. Haaland, usually Norway’s star player, had a night to forget, with his only real chance being a shot that hit the post early in the match.
Slovenia, level on points with both Austria and Norway, secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan, thanks to a second-half goal from Jan Mlakar. Meanwhile, Monday’s fixtures include Belgium hosting France, and a highly anticipated clash between Germany and the Netherlands in Munich.
