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England hosted Ukraine in their second qualifying fixture for Euro 2024, hoping to build on their historic victory against Italy in their opening match. The game was held at Wembley, and more than 1,000 Ukrainian fans were invited as guests of the FA, in a show of solidarity following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Harry Kane broke the all-time goalscoring record for England with a penalty in the match against Italy, and continued to lead the team as captain.
England hoped to secure a win against Ukraine, who had lost only two of their last 19 European Championship qualifying matches. England’s recent record at home games, including a 4-0 defeat to Hungary and a 3-3 draw with Germany, added pressure to their performance. However, they had never conceded three goals or more in three consecutive home games in their history.
The England team lineup included James Maddison, whose first start for England had come three and a half years after his first international cap as a substitute. An opportunity for Maddison had come due to a number of injuries, including Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Phil Foden.
Ahead of the Ukraine match, England had achieved a significant milestone with their win in Italy – they had shown they could go anywhere, to any stadium, against any opposition – and completely impose their own game. This was something that they had not achieved before, and it showed the blueprint for Euro 2024 glory. England’s success relied on their performance, especially away games, and their ability to impose their game on the opposition.
The match against Ukraine ended in a 2-1 victory for England, with goals from Kane and Bellingham. Although Ukraine had never beaten England away from home in four previous attempts, they had not lost their opening match in qualifying for a major tournament in their last five tournaments, since beating Belarus in 2008. The win against Ukraine was a good result for England, putting them in a strong position in Group C.
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