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England beat Czech Republic 1-0 at Wembley to secure top spot in Group D of Euro 2020. Raheem Sterling netted the only goal of the night as the Three Lions made light work of the Locomotives, who couldn't produce their best form tonight.
The hosts of the match were in control in the first-half and broke the deadlock just 12 minutes later. Sterling headed Jack Grealish's perfectly-weighted cross home from point-blank range.
Jaroslav Silhavy's men had a few chances of their own too but some wayward finishing let them down. That included Tomas Pekhart, who missed a glorious chance to snatch a point by firing his effort wide at the near post.
Although the second-half was a more cagey affair, Jordan Henderson appeared to have doubled England's advantage with a late goal. It was later ruled out as the Liverpool star was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up.
Both sides had already booked their places in the last-16 before kick-off but England go through as Group D winners and face the second-placed side from Group F while Czech Republic, who came third, will learn their opponents in due course.
Here are the major talking points from Wembley.
#1 A tale of two halves
While it wasn't the most end-to-end game you'll see in these Euros, the first-half of England and Czech Republic still had some nervy moments. Both sides made conscientious efforts, with the hosts also breaking the deadlock through Raheem Sterling. However, the closing half was a yawn-fest.
For some reason, the sides lost steam after the break and just passed the ball around pointlessly. Gareth Southgate's men worked a few openings through Saka but nothing came of it. In fact, neither team made a single attempt on target. Jordan Henderson's strike appeared to spice things up a bit in the dying moments, but it was immediately ruled out for offside.
#2 Raheem Sterling - England's new main target-man?
England have scored only two goals from three games in the competition so far, both of which came through Raheem Sterling. He has surprisingly looked sharp and better than most in his squad despite a dull finish to his 2020-21 club season with Manchester City.
Having netted the winner against Croatia in the opening game, the 26-year old repeated the trick again tonight. He scored a close-range header by latching onto Jack Grealish's hooked cross which proved enough to secure all three points for his side and finish atop Group D.
#3 Patrik Schick kept silent by England's resolute defense
Czech Republic were a breath of fresh air in the Euros so far, with Patrik Schick in a rich vein of form. But then England came by and kept them firmly at bay. It wasn't for the lack of trying, as mentioned in the last slide. The Locomotive were active in the first-half, though some resolute defending from their hosts made life difficult.
Schick boxed up for most of the game, and besides his two key passes, had nothing to show for his efforts. In fact, the Bayer Leverkusen striker never even attempted a shot in 75 minutes of action, a testament to England's stoic backline, which looked organized and kept its shape even in tense moments.
It begs the question, how long can this last?
#4 Jadon Sancho is here, at last!
The moment everyone was eagerly waiting for finally arrived. Jadon Sancho came off the bench for his first spell of action at Euro 2020 and it was a welcome sight for all the English fans. The Borussia Dortmund star replaced Bukayo Saka in the final 10 minutes of the game for his first taste of a major tournament in England colors, though questions over his importance to Gareth Southgate remain.
Even in a game they were heavily tipped to win, the manager opted to keep him waiting in the wings once again, with Saka getting picked ahead of Sancho in the starting XI. When the time came to introduce some fresh legs, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham entered the fray before him, indicating that Sancho might be trailing in Southgate's pecking order.
He finally stepped onto the field, but how big a role will he play in the knockout stages? Doesn't seem like much.
#5 England are through but still not at their resounding best
Despite boasting a host of attacking talents in their ranks, it's their defense which has garnered all the plaudits so far. They have not conceded a single goal in the group stages, the only side besides Italy with such a distinction. However, will that be enough for them to go all the way? Certainly not.
England's attack, although looking promising, hasn't really clicked into gear. They've relied on moments of individual quality, with Bukayo Saka creating the opening for Sterling with some incredible work in the build-up. Harry Kane is yet to open his account in the competition (though he showed glimpses of his real self against the Czechs).
So far so good, but it's getting real tough from here. England are set to face the runners-up of Group F in the last-16, which could be Germany or Portugal. Their attacking game has to be more ruthless with midfield showing more ingenuity.
