England vs Belgium LIVE: Result and final score as Jude Bellingham goal rescues draw at Wembley
England 2-2 Belgium: Bellingham’s 95th-minute equaliser salvaged a draw after Youri Tielemans punished two defensive mistakes
A late Jude Bellingham goal rescued England from a second consecutive defeat at Wembley as Gareth Southgate’s side salvaged a 2-2 draw against Belgium.
The Three Lions had trailed to a Youri Tielemans brace after Belgium punished two defensive mistakes in the first half - but Bellingham found an equaliser with the last kick of the game after England dominated the second half.
Aston Villa midfielder Tielemans scored twice before half-time, first punishing goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s woeful clearance, before Romelu Lukaku’s perfect cross set up his second after Lewis Dunk’s slip.
Ivan Toney scored his first England goal from the penalty spot to equalise in the first half, but Bellingham saw two chances go begging while Phil Foden also narrowly shot wide.
And Bellingham’s perseverance was rewarded as the Real Madrid midfielder fired a 95th-minute equaliser. Follow live updates from England vs Belgium in tonight’s live blog, while you can get the latest odds and tips on the match, here:
England 0-0 Belgium
5 mins: Sloppy passing out from the back from John Stones and Ben Chilwell goes unpunished as the Belgium frontmen fail to use the ball effectively.
England 0-0 Belgium
2 mins: A quick response from Belgium, driving forward through captain Romelu Lukaku before Leandro Trossard’s delivery comes to nothing.
Early scares for both teams.
England 0-0 Belgium
1 min: Lively start for England as Jarred Bowen whips in a dangerous ball towards Ivan Toney within 25 seconds.
Toney whacks it against his own arm and the whistle is blown.
The teams are in the tunnels
Declan Rice is about to lead England out for the first time on his 50th cap.
Not long to go now!
A familiar face on our screens
There’s a towering figure on Channel 4’s punditry panel this evening.
Standing alongside former England stalwarts Jill Scott and Joe is a familiar face in ex-Manchester United powerhouse Marouane Fellaini.
The big Belgian announced his retirement from football at the beginning of February, having seen out his career at Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan.
Southgate hails ‘immense’ Rice ahead of first game as England captain
Gareth Southgate on Declan Rice:
“He’s been immense for us. Frankly we’d have been lost without him for the five or six years he’s been with us. I think his game has moved onto another level.
“I think this leadership experience will be a great one for him. He’s obviously done that at West Ham as the captain and I think we can bring him out of himself more than he already is.”
“He wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case” - Mainoo very much in Southgate’s selection thoughts
Gareth Southgate on Kobbie Mainoo:
“He’s been completely at ease with the environment, you saw the other night in the short cameo he had that he’s very comfortable with receiving the ball and progressing the ball up the pitch.
“I think it’s an easy group to settle in with so they’ve made it more comfortable for him.
“He wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case (having a realistic chance of being selected for the Euros). It’s a great opportunity to see him. We’ve put young players in in the past who are not afraid to do that, so we’re really looking forward to seeing him play.”
Gareth Southgate speaks ahead of kick-off
Gareth Southgate on Ivan Toney’s involvement tonight:
“You can’t disguise the fact that any game in an England shirt is an important one. But he’s playing with confidence with his club and, as everyone else does, all he has to do is bring his club form into the international shirt.
“He of course has different qualities to Ollie. He’s definitely a player who gets more involved in the lower build up and can come short, find those passes, it’s not just about hitting him as a target man. There are plenty of different attributes to his game.”
Make or break for Ivan Toney’s Euros dream?
Ivan Toney leads the line for England this evening in what could easily be do or die for a place in Gareth Southgate’s Euros squad.
He’ll be desperate to impress.
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