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Published 26 March 2024 5 min read
England Men's Senior Team

Match Report: England 2-2 Belgium

Written by:

Ben Hart

  • I. Toney (17′PEN)
  • J. Bellingham (95′)
  • J. Gomez (67′)
  • J. Maddison (91′)
International Match Friendlies 1
Tuesday 26 March, 07:45 PM Wembley Stadium
The England men's logo
2 2
HT: 1 - 2
Belgium
  • Y. Tielemans (11′) (36′)
  • M. Batshuayi (95′)
27 Mar 2024 6:28

Highlights: England 2-2 Belgium


Jude Bellingham's last-gasp goal salvaged England a 2-2 draw against Belgium at Wembley Stadium

Jude Bellingham scores late on to salvage a draw as Ivan Toney nets his first England goal

Jude Bellingham celebrates England dramatic late equaliser
Jude Bellingham celebrates England dramatic late equaliser

Jude Bellingham's last-gasp goal salvaged England a 2-2 draw against Belgium at Wembley Stadium connected by EE.

Youri Tielemans opened the scoring early in the first half before Ivan Toney levelled quickly from the penalty spot for his first Three Lions goal.

Tielemans, who scored a Wembley winner in the 2021 FA Cup final, restored Belgium’s lead nine minutes before half-time with a far-post header.

England came close to an equaliser on several occasions and finally rescued a draw deep into stoppage time when Bellingham drilled home. 

Gareth Southgate made five changes from Saturday’s defeat to Brazil, handing three players their first England starts and it was one of those newcomers who was on the end of the game’s first chance.

Jarrod Bowen’s surging run down the right culminated with a fizzed waist-height cross for Toney, who lost his marker but could only volley into his arm.

Then, in the space of two minutes, England lost John Stones through injury before Belgium scored an opportunistic opener.

Jordan Pickford’s clearance was intercepted by Everton team-mate Amadou Onana, whose lay off was stroked in first time by Tielemans into the corner Pickford had vacated as he raced across his goal.

England rallied well and were awarded a penalty when Toney was caught by Jan Vertonghen’s desperate lunge.

 Declan Rice captained England for the first time at Wembley Stadium
Declan Rice captained England for the first time at Wembley Stadium

The Brentford striker had to wait for the conclusion of a lengthy VAR check but showed no sign of any nerves, calmly wrong-footing Matz Sels to draw England level.

The Three Lions were well in the ascendancy but there was one scare at the other end as Pickford got down well to parry clear a whipped low shot from Jeremy Doku.

Still within a lively first half hour, Red Devils defender Zeno Debast nearly sliced into his own goal and from the resulting corner England thought they had the lead.

Bowen found the net with a flicked header but the West Ham forward was found to have just strayed offside after another early VAR check.

Bellingham was next to go close, blazing over after some indecision among the Belgian rearguard before the visitors struck to devastating effect on the counter.

Tielemans’ long ball found Romelu Lukaku and he produced a sublime cross with the outside of his foot to pick out Tielemans stooping at the far post, leaving Pickford with no chance.

Bellingham and Bowen both tested Sels before the break but Belgium held out for a half-time lead.

 Ivan Toney converted his penalty expertly to score his first England goal
Ivan Toney converted his penalty expertly to score his first England goal

The second half started like the first with the best early chance falling to Toney but his near post shot was tipped wide by Sels.

Phil Foden then saw a shot blocked before Bellingham miscued a header wide from Joe Gomez’s clipped cross.

Tielemans and Doku were causing problems on the break and combined before a teasing ball across the face of goal somehow evaded Lukaku.

England kept pushing and Mainoo thundered onto a loose ball from the top of the box but was denied by the advancing Sels.  

Bowen then beat two defenders and played Foden in on the angle but he fired his shot agonisingly wide.

But with the last attack of the game, substitute James Maddison played a pinpoint cut-back into the path of Bellingham and he slotted cooly into the bottom right corner to earn England a deserved draw with one of the last kicks of the game.

Match Line Up

England: 1. Jordan Pickford (Everton), 2. Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), 3. Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), 4. Declan Rice (Arsenal), 5. John Stones (Manchester City), 6. Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), 7. Phil Foden (Manchester City), 10. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), 17. Ivan Toney (Brentford), 18. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), 21. Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)

Substitutes: 12. Joe Gomez (Liverpool) for Stones 10’, 20. James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur) for Mainoo 74’, 9. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) for Toney 80’, 11. Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) for Bowen 80’

Substitutes not used: 8. Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), 13. Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), 14. Jordan Henderson (Ajax), 15. Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), 16. Rico Lewis (Manchester City), 19. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), 23. Cole Palmer (Manchester City)

Goals: Toney 17’ (pen), Bellingham 90+4'

Bookings: Gomez 67’

Belgium: 13. Matz Sels, 2. Zeno Debast, 3. Arthur Theate, 5. Jan Vertonghen, 6. Amadou Onana, 7. Jeremy Doku, 8. Youri Tielemans, 10. Romelu Lukaku, 11. Leandro Trossard, 18. Orel Mangala, 21. Timothy Castagne

Substitutes: 14. Dodi Lukebakio for Trossard 60’, 22. Aster Vranckx for Theate 71’, 15. Thomas Meunier for Tielemans 71’, 9. Lois Openda for Mangala 82’, 23. Michy Batshuayi for Lukaku 82’, 4. Wout Faes for Debast 82’

Substitutes not used: 12. Thomas Kaminski, 25. Aranud Bodart, 16. Oliver Deman, 19. Johan Bakayoko, 20. Arthur Vermeeren, 24. Koni De Winter

Goals: Tielemans 11’, 36’

Bookings: Batshuayi 90+3'

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