England head to Euro 2020 among the top seeds after goals from Harry Winks, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount saw Gareth Southgate’s men overcome Kosovo 4-0 on a humbling occasion in the Balkans.
Already assured of top spot in Group A and their pool matches being played at Wembley, the Three Lions knew they risked dropping out of seeded sides for next summer’s European Championship unless they overcame tricky opposition in Pristina.
England wobbled at times at the rocking Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri, but Winks and Mount’s first international goals bookended a victory which also saw Kane and Rashford on target, on a night when the reception was more memorable than the match itself.
The United Kingdom was part of the international coalition which forced the Serbian forces to withdraw following clashes with ethnic Albanians in the territory in the late 1990s, with England’s first match in Kosovo allowing the locals to show their gratitude.
Visiting fans and players have been shown unprecedented warmth in Pristina, where specially made ‘Welcome and Respect’ T-shirts and banners were complemented by hundreds of St George’s crosses around the city.
There were thousands more English flags on display in the ground before kick-off as the Kosovan fans displayed cards during ‘God Save the Queen’ – a remarkable build-up that was followed by a comparatively underwhelming encounter.
Southgate has plenty to think about over the winter months after what was a disjointed display for large periods, with Kosovo threatening a shaky defence and the midfield dynamic still not looking quite right in their final competitive match ahead of Euro 2020.
Winks’ first-half effort calmed some nerves, with Kane, Rashford and Mount adding second-half gloss to a win that sees them among the top six sides for the draw at the end of this month.
