Gareth Southgate made five changes to his side that defeated Italy. John Stones, Luke Shaw, Ben Chilwell and Jude Bellingham have been replaced with Rico Lewis, Ezri Konsa and Cole Palmer as newcomers will have an opportunity to shine in Southgate’s squad.
Early on, England struggle to break through Malta’s tight defence. Marcus Rashford manages to sneak past Bonello but his volley was stopped. In this article, we will discuss about England National Football Team vs Malta National Football Team Lineups.
1. Jordan Pickford
Gareth Southgate has made no secret of his desire for England to make an impression during their Euro 2024 qualifying match against Malta. England are clear favorites and should easily whittle away at Malta like butter.
Pickford is expected to maintain his position between the sticks for England despite recent criticism over his controversial rugby tackle on Salomon Rondon of Newcastle United. Since joining Everton – winning player of the season award last term. – Pickford has been in fine form.
Kieran Trippier won England their opening corner, which Phil Foden then took. Harry Maguire came close with his header from this corner but could not generate enough force to beat Henry Bonello. Paul Mbong later collided with Fikayo Tomori and was booked.
2. Harry Maguire
England will aim for their eighth win out of eight Euro 2024 qualifying matches when they host Malta on Friday. England defeated them 4-0 at Ta’ Qali last time out and are currently top of Group C with two matches still to come.
Enrico Pepe’s own goal and Harry Kane’s goal were enough for Gareth Southgate’s side to secure victory against an opponent ranked 171st globally, but neither goal were particularly convincing in front of an uninspired Wembley crowd.
Maguire will likely remain a mainstay in defence alongside Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori, with Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold joining Trent Alexander-Arnold to form midfield partnership. Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, and Esri Konsa will also get their chance to shine as members of an eight-man back four who will miss James Maddison, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford due to injuries.
3. Marc Guehi
Guehi’s composure is often noted by coaches, teammates and those in the know; his serenity has enabled him to handle the demands of international football as an effective defender for England.
Gareth Southgate often chooses him for international matches and enjoys working closely with Harry Maguire in defence. On Friday night, it is expected he will feature again as Gareth Southgate attempts to keep up their 100% start in Euro 2024 qualifying Group C qualifying qualifying matches.
He defended well in England’s 3-1 win against Brentford on Saturday and provided his first assist for his national side in the 58th minute. On Friday against Malta he will look to build on this performance by helping break up attacks by opposition players.
4. Kieran Trippier
Kieran Trippier is an exceptional full-back who excels at every aspect of modern football. He combines strong tackling ability with electrifying pace and an eye for producing crosses which result in goals.
At Manchester City as a youth player, 24-year-old Kieran Marwood quickly established himself before moving onto Burnley and Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino. Marwood made his senior debut in 2017 before going on to make an impressionful Euro 2024 debut – his brilliant free kick helped England advance to the semifinals.
Now that top seeding in the tournament has been assured, Southgate may consider altering his lineup for next week’s trip to North Macedonia. That could see Rico Lewis and Ollie Watkins start for the first time; with Jack Grealish providing options off the bench alongside James Maddison and Bukayo Saka.
5. Declan Rice
Gareth Southgate will look to maintain his side’s impressive form with a routine victory against Malta. The Three Lions are favourites to top their group and secure an advantageous draw at Euro 2024 finals.
Maltese Henry Bonello was caught out trying to intercept a pass from Phil Foden and was penalised by referee Tom Huddleston for diving, prompting Southgate’s fury as Maltese Henry Bonello likely posed little of a threat during their visit.
Southgate has also given Rico Lewis, Ezri Konsa and Cole Palmer their inaugural call-ups to England’s national side, making their debuts possible against Malta at Wembley. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson could provide energy needed for victory – providing enough firepower in front of goal not to worry their under-strength opponents.
6. Phil Foden
After an underwhelming performance against Iceland in November 2020, Foden appeared to have recovered his form with two goals in England’s 2-0 win against Malta. Unfortunately, however, Foden struggled to make an impressionful contribution as England endured this slow encounter.
After Enrico Pepe gifted England an early own goal, fans anticipated the floodgates would open but that did not transpire. Record scorer Harry Kane attempted to claim a penalty after colliding with Bonello but the referee denied this request and awarded no penalty kicks instead.
Gareth Southgate will likely give debuts to Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis and Ezri Konsa in this match. These players were added as replacements for James Maddison, Jude Bellingham and Callum Wilson who are unavailable and they’ll hope to make a statement against Malta and North Macedonia as they aim to secure top spot in Group C before heading over to Italy on Monday.
7. John Stones
Gareth Southgate has made one alteration to his team, shifting Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield and adding Declan Rice. Jude Bellingham, James Maddison and Callum Wilson have been left out, while Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis and Esri Konsa will make their senior debuts for England.
Malta will field their 3-5-2 formation, featuring Henry Bonello, Zach Muscat and Ferdinando Apap as defenders who look to keep the ball close to home in an attempt to keep Joseph Mbong and Ryan Camenzuli fresh for England – although their defensive quintet may make life tough for England; England have won all five previous encounters against Malta so far including an emphatic 4-0 triumph back in September 2017! The Three Lions should easily beat Malta this time around as only eight out of 11 European Championship qualifiers matches have resulted in defeat compared with 11 victories recorded against England so far compared with four coming against England!
8. Kyle Walker
Gareth Southgate’s side are eventually able to assert themselves on the game after some nerve-wracking moments. Kyle Walker on the right-hand side of defence hits an incredible cross that meets with Harry Kane who deposits it safely into the back of the net.
England have made an unbeaten start to Euro 2024 qualifying Group C qualifying, winning all three matches so far and are heavy favorites at Ta’ Qali National Stadium on Friday evening for winning.
Kyle Walker of Tottenham Hotspur made the journey to Malta and hopes to win another cap during this match. Walker has excelled since joining the national team in 2011, having come through Sheffield United’s youth academy before making his professional debut with Northampton Town in 2008. Now at Tottenham, Walker continues his impressive performances for England.
9. Jude Bellingham
England are heavy favorites to win this matchup and should easily dispatch Malta. But Malta are well aware that they face an uphill struggle in this encounter and will do all they can to give themselves the best chance at upsetting one of England’s tournament favorites.
Kieran Trippier finds room to swing a cross which Marcus Rashford receives and wins the first corner of the game. Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka replace Conor Gallagher and Fikayo Tomori respectively in order to add pace and aggression into the match while simultaneously opening up more opportunities for Phil Foden and Harry Kane’s counter attacks on breakaways.
10. Marcus Rashford
England earned an unspectacular victory against Malta at Wembley with ease thanks to an own goal by Enrico Pepe eight minutes in. Although England led 4-0 early on against Group C’s bottom team, their total never increased beyond four goals against this opponent.
Gareth Southgate used this match as an opportunity to evaluate fringe players, withdrawing Jude Bellingham, James Maddison, Levi Colwill, Lewis Dunk and Callum Wilson from action. Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer made their senior debuts and are likely to see further action against North Macedonia on Monday.
Palace’s defender had an outstanding performance against Island Minnows. He proved himself as an anchor at the back and got forward with some quality crosses. This could make him an integral piece in England’s remaining Euro 2024 qualifying campaign; three out of the last five England matches saw both teams scoring so expect goals to come at some point!
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https://sportsbyte.co.uk/ukraine-national-football-team-vs-england-national-football-team-lineups
