England Beats Italy with Kane’s Record-breaking Goal, Malta Loses to Macedonia in Qualifiers

AQRA BIL-MALTI [+]

Malta fought hard but fell short, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Macedonia in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign opener. Despite conceding two goals in quick succession, Malta kept fighting and were rewarded with a late goal from Yannick Yankam. However, it wasn’t enough as the Macedonians held on for the win. Meanwhile, England started their campaign with a 2-1 win over Italy in Naples, with Harry Kane becoming the country’s all-time leading scorer. Declan Rice and Kane scored in the first half to give England a 2-0 lead, but Italy fought back in the second half with a goal from Mateo Retegui. The game became more difficult for England when Luke Shaw was sent off, but they held on for the win. Despite concerns about their performance in the second half, it was a good response from Gareth Southgate’s side after their World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.