Harry Kane solidified his position as England's all-time leading scorer by netting a goal in the 2-0 victory over Ukraine, reinforcing Gareth Southgate's team's grip on Group C in the Euro 2024 qualifiers on Sunday. After scoring his 54th goal in the 2-1 win against Italy on Tuesday, Kane made up for two missed opportunities by opening the scoring in the 37th minute.
Bukayo Saka, the Arsenal forward, added the second goal just before halftime with a brilliant shot that frustrated the visiting team and their crowd of about four thousand spectators.
Ukraine pressed after the break but appeared unable to secure their second victory against England in ten encounters. Brentford striker Ivan Toney made his debut for England ten minutes from the end.
England now has six points from their first two matches and looks poised to top the group, which also includes Malta and North Macedonia. The match witnessed significant sympathy for Ukraine, which has been ravaged by war, with a donation of a thousand tickets for refugees and their host families, as well as a warm greeting following the national anthem.
However, England set aside this sympathy and displayed a determination to build on their first win against Italy on Italian soil in 62 years. Kane squandered two chances, the first with a close-range shot and the second after a pass from James Maddison.
But he capitalized on his third opportunity to score against goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin after a pass from Saka. Three minutes later, Saka added the second goal with an exquisite shot.
Ukraine fought hard in the second half but lacked the efficiency to threaten England's goal. Conor Gallagher and Jack Grealish wasted two opportunities for England, prompting their fans to leave early.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian supporters remained until the end to cheer for their team, which will face North Macedonia in June, while England will travel to face Malta.
