Bukayo Saka grabbed the ball, his ball, and kissed it. This Euro 2024 qualifying tie was only in the 51st minute but the England winger had completed a stunning hat-trick and so why wait for the traditional post-match ritual? The only problem for Saka – and North Macedonia – was that he had to hand it back. For a while, at least.
The strange thing about this game was that England had rather laboured for the opening 29 minutes. It felt as if it could turn into one of those long nights. The way that they set about the notion and dismantled it, together with the opposition, said everything about the poise and belief that Gareth Southgate has instilled.
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