England stormed to a 5-0 victory over 10-man Republic of Ireland, sealing promotion to the Nations League top tier as four players scored their first international goals. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland’s hat-trick propelled Norway to the top of their group.
In Lee Carsley’s final game as interim manager before Thomas Tuchel takes over, Euro 2024 runners-up England secured first place in Group B2. Despite a 2-0 win over Finland, Greece finished second and will head into the playoffs in March.
At Wembley, England struggled to break down Ireland’s defense in the first half, with Noni Madueke twice having shots blocked after promising runs.
The match turned early in the second half when Liam Scales fouled Jude Bellingham in the box after a pinpoint pass from Harry Kane. Scales received his second yellow card, and Kane calmly converted the penalty to open the scoring.
Minutes later, Tino Livramento’s deflected cross found Newcastle teammate Anthony Gordon, who volleyed home for his first England goal.
Conor Gallagher added a third shortly after, stabbing in a flick-on from Marc Guehi at a corner to also score his first for England.
Substitute Jarrod Bowen marked his arrival by firing in his first England goal with his first touch, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis capped the rout on his debut, heading in Bellingham’s cross in the 79th minute.
The emphatic victory marked a perfect send-off for Carsley and provided Tuchel with a confident squad ahead of his tenure.
HAALAND FIRES NORWAY INTO LEAGUE A
Erling Haaland delivered a masterclass as Norway cruised to a 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan, securing the top spot in Group B3 ahead of Austria, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Slovenia.
The Manchester City striker opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, pouncing on a rebound to break the deadlock. Fourteen minutes later, Haaland doubled his tally, nodding in his 37th international goal. Antonio Nusa added a third, capping a dominant first-half display for the Norwegians.
Haaland completed his hat-trick—his fourth for Norway—with 19 minutes to go, turning expertly on the edge of the box and firing a low shot into the bottom corner. Nusa added a late goal to complete the rout as Norway clinched automatic promotion.
Austria, meanwhile, were denied the top spot after conceding a late equalizer in their 1-1 draw with Slovenia in Vienna.
Later in Group A2, Italy host France in a decisive clash. Both teams have already secured quarterfinal spots, but Italy need to avoid losing by two or more goals to finish ahead of their rivals.
