England boss Southgate finds brilliant double act in Wales win

England vs Wales: Party atmosphere at Wembley before kick off

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After a first half that was borderline tedious and terrible, England roared into life. The Three Lions put Wales to the sword in the second half at the Al Rayyan Stadium, with Marcus Rashford bagging a brace and Phil Foden also on target. Express Sport will now take a look at four things we learned as Gareth Southgate masterminded a second victory from three matches in the competition so far.

England find great double act

England are blessed with attacking players and, such is their strength in depth, they were able to leave wingers Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka on the bench for the match in Qatar.

And Rashford and Foden both made the most of their opportunities, with the pair scoring in the early stages of the second half to propel the Three Lions to victory.

Rashford’s first goal was a stunner, with the Manchester United forward curling a sensational free-kick past Danny Ward to break the deadlock in the 50th minute. His second, 18 minutes later, was excellently taken too.

Foden then struck two minutes later, with the Manchester City star celebrating with enthusiasm having been left on the bench for the previous two matches against the USA and Iran.

Whether they keep their places in the team remains to be seen, but it was certainly encouraging to see Rashford and Foden playing so well down the flanks. It certainly gives Southgate food for thought…

Gareth Bale poor

It’s unclear if Gareth Bale was carrying an injury before he was taken off for Wales at half time, having struggled to make an impact during the match.

Yet one thing is certain. A player whose career has taken him from Southampton to Los Angeles, with Tottenham and Real Madrid in between, is finished.

Bale was alarmingly slow during the showdown. As Wales’ talisman he was meant to be fired up yet he didn’t look to be in the mood and played as though he knew his side had nothing to play for, on a night where they finished bottom of the group.

It was so different to when England last faced Wales back at the European Championships in 2016, where Bale was a constant threat down the wing.

Retirement doesn’t appear to be too far away for the player, whose days at the very top are now officially over in the wake of this drab and dreadul showing.

Southgate gets Kane decision right

England have decided to risk Harry Kane this winter. The Tottenham star picked up an injury in the 6-2 win over Iran yet has still started his country’s next two matches afterwards.

He insists he’s fully fit yet there’s a sense he’s yet to explode into life this tournament, despite his obvious quality.

Taking Kane off in the 57th minute for Callum Wilson, therefore, was the right decision.

It wasn’t that the Spurs hitman was bad. Far from it. He did his job well and provided the assist for Foden, who gleefully tapped home from close range shortly after Rashford’s goal had sparked jubilant celebrations from those in white around the ground.

But risking Kane just isn’t a decision that’s worth it. If England are to go all the way this year, they’ll need the 29-year-old operating at the peak of his powers.

Southgate either lucky or a genius

The first half of England’s match with Wales was a forgettable one. Certainly, it was no classic that fans would be rushing to watch the highlights of afterwards.

Southgate was being criticised in the press box at the interval, with the Three Lions lacking imagination and creativity as they laboured through the game.

After the break, though, they were a team completely transformed.

Foden and Rashford gave the Three Lions lift-off and they were able to see out the game from there, with Wales putting up precious little resistance.

Southgate changed their positions, which suggests he may be a genius. But after overseeing a dire first 45 minutes, he could just be lucky…

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