England’s second-string players delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Greece on Thursday, maintaining their bid for promotion to Nations League A despite controversy surrounding Harry Kane’s comments about missing squad members.
The match came a day after Kane publicly criticized the wave of withdrawals from the England squad, suggesting that international duty should “come before anything” amid reports that club managers may have encouraged players to avoid potential injuries during a busy season.
Interim manager Lee Carsley made the surprising decision to drop Kane, leaving him on the bench for the first 66 minutes, a move seen by some as a response to Kane’s comments. However, it was likely a planned rest for the striker, given his heavy workload with Bayern Munich.
Despite the absence of several key players—including Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Jack Grealish, and others—England showed their strength as their reserves stepped up. Ollie Watkins, in for Kane, opened the scoring early in the match. He was set up by Noni Madueke’s precise cross, finishing from close range. Greece’s goalkeeper, Odysseas Vlachodimos, then inadvertently doubled England’s lead with an own goal. Curtis Jones added a third for England, marking his first start with a cheeky flick from a cross by Morgan Gibbs-White.
England’s victory moved them above Greece in the standings, and they will secure promotion to Nations League A if they defeat Ireland at Wembley on Sunday. A second-place finish would see them enter a promotion play-off against a third-placed League A side in 2025.
This match also highlighted England’s depth, as the players who stepped in for the absentees performed admirably. Watkins had a number of opportunities to add to his tally, and Madueke continued his excellent form, setting up chances and creating danger throughout. Greece’s best chance to pull one back came when Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas forced a save from England’s Jordan Pickford.
England’s dominance continued in the second half as Jude Bellingham struck a powerful shot from the edge of the box, hitting the post before bouncing into the net off Vlachodimos. Five minutes later, Jones sealed the win with a flicked finish, confirming the visitors’ control over the match.
The result leaves England in pole position for promotion, with their fate in their own hands ahead of Sunday’s decisive clash with Ireland.
