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England 2 Belgium 2: Mainoo and Toney shine – but where does this leave Southgate?
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In the first of today's three Euro qualifying play-off finals, Georgia defeated Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw and extra time, sparking chaotic celebrations in Tbilisi as the former Soviet republic qualified for its very first major tournament.
Georgia, who began playing matches as an independent nation in the early 1990s, will join Group F in this summer's tournament alongside Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
The other two play-off finals are at half-time, with Iceland leading Ukraine 1-0 on Albert Gudmundsson's goal, while Wales and Poland are level 0-0 after a Ben Davies goal was ruled offside.
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With his goal in the 11th minute, Youri Tielemans became the first Belgium player to have scored both a club goal and an international goal at Wembley.
His club goal came in the 2021 FA Cup final for Leicester City against Chelsea.
And then he added another one, just for good measure.
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For all that we can discuss England tactically in these friendlies, it is very difficult when there is so much rotation in games.
Some of it is intended substitutions, but losing Kyle Walker and John Stones in the first half of each game makes it difficult for Southgate, never mind for those of us trying to decipher the tactics!
HT England 1-2 Belgium
While I wouldn't want to kick a defender while he's down, Lewis Dunk almost chose the wrong way through the hoardings to get to the tunnel for half-time just then.
In fairness to him, he recovered well after his slip - but those slips are pretty damaging at international level, even compared to the Premier League.
HT England 1-2 Belgium
Sels then saves again, this time Bowen's long-range effort and that is all from the first half.
England have looked relatively sharp going forward, but two inexcusable defensive mistakes have them 2-1 down.
It was their defensive that was the issue against Brazil and the same is true this evening.
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45+2' England 1-2 Belgium
A second chance for England's Galactico, but another that he perhaps should have done better with.
It comes from another nice move from the hosts ends with Bowen picking out Bellingham inside the penalty area, but his effort is tame and very easily saved by Sels.
After a bright cameo against Brazil, Bowen is doing his Euro 2024 hopes absolutely no harm in this international break.
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45+1' England 1-2 Belgium
And, for the people still in their seats, there will be three more minutes of this first half.
44' England 1-2 Belgium
The game has been in a bit of a lull since that second Belgium goal.
The rain is still teeming down, while a lot of fans have already decided to head onto the concourses to sort their half-time refreshments. I guess it is still a friendly.
43' England 1-2 Belgium
Since Tielemans' first goal, Belgium have hardly had the ball.
But, with the scoreline as it is, I'm not sure they'll care. The visitors have only had 30 per cent possession, but they have capitalised on some schoolboy football from England.
In fact, even schoolboys would have avoided conceding two goals as poor as those two.
41' England 1-2 Belgium
That was a ridiculous cross from Romelu Lukaku.
This is one of the best friendlies I've seen in ages!
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38' England 1-2 Belgium
I'm afraid that's really poor from Dunk. Absolutely no need to go to ground and give up the ball and space for Lukaku.
What a cross though. It was just striking me how passive Belgium had been - but then, you can be if you counter with quality like that.
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37' England 1-2 Belgium
Dunk had a horrendous time against Lukaku in the Europa League a couple of weeks ago and that has continued tonight.
The Roma striker puts the Brighton defender under some (pretty lightweight) pressure and he folds like a house of cards.
It allows Lukaku to attack the penalty area and his trivela left-footed cross is absolutely sublime. Tielemans arrives at the back post and heads in from three or four yards.
Belgium lead again, against the run of play.
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36' England 1-2 Belgium
And, just like that, England are behind to a Tielemans goal.
Where have we heard that before?
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33' England 1-1 Belgium
Bowen is determined to make up for his disallowed goal and he is giving the Belgians a real problem on the right wing. His latest effort sees him send a left-footed effort high into the stands behind the goal, though.
From the resulting goal kick, Mainoo pinches the ball on the edge of the penalty area and finds Bellingham. The Real Madrid man has to score but smashes a lazy effort a long way over the crossbar.
That should have been 2-1!
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31' England 1-1 Belgium
Southgate said the other day that England needed to be better on their attacking set pieces.
That was a very well-worked corner but Bowen was inches offside when he nodded in Lewis Dunk's header from Phil Foden's corner.
Bellingham would have tapped in at the back post had Bowen not scored, but he too was offside.
30' England 1-1 Belgium
While that goal does not count for the hosts, they have been much better since Toney's equaliser.
The passage of play that led to the corner that Bowen scored from was excellent and Debast was fortunate that his sliced clearance from Bellingham's low cross landed on the roof of the net rather than in the back of it.
For all his youth and inexperience, Mainoo has been brilliant so far.
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28' England 1-1 Belgium
The joy is short lived for Bowen and England as he was offside after Dunk's brilliant knock down.
27' England 2-1 Belgium
Another first England goal — this time for Jarrod Bowen!
Although, he looked offside...
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24' England 1-1 Belgium
What a special moment for Ivan Toney that was.
It is exactly a year since he made his England debut in a forgettable cameo against Ukraine, but he has wasted no time in his second appearance.
Just 17 minutes it took him to score his first England goal.
The Athletic's Will Jeanes informs us that Toney has become the first ever Brentford player to score for England.