Bukayo Saka stars as England open FIFA World Cup campaign with 6-2 rout of Iran | Football News

NEW DELHI: Britain Begins World Cup 2022 with a strong 6-2 victory over Iran in the opening match of Group B. a double from Bukayo Saka and the strikes of Jude Bellingham and Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish helped him complete the route.
This is only the second time England have scored five or more goals in a major league game. The first time they did that was against Panama (6-1) in the 2018 World Cup. Both came under Gareth Southgate.
He mocked Iran’s defense during the match by scoring three goals in each half while Mehdi Taremi was the only scorer for Iran.

The second game of the tournament also saw VAR come into play, resulting in Iran being awarded a penalty for a slight shirt-pulling error and Taremi successfully converting that penalty into a consolation goal. in the dying moments of the match.
The match also came amid turmoil in Iran after months of women-led protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman of Kurdish descent who was arrested by police in the country. Tehran arrested.
Iran’s players have refused to sing their national anthem in a clear show of support for the anti-government protesters.
England entered the tournament without a win in six games, but the first 45 minutes were dynamic, in which Bellingham scored England’s first goal, Saka doubled the lead and Sterling scored his third. three in the second half.

Saka’s second goal after the break allowed them to catch up and opened the door for Iran to regain it thanks to Mehdi Taremi, before substitutes Rashford and Grealish scored for England.
England’s cause was helped when influential Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was forced off in the 20th minute after a nasty head collision with a teammate but they capitalized on it.
England’s 19-year-old midfielder Bellingham has highlighted why some of Europe’s biggest clubs have eyes on him, as he purrs like a Rolls-Royce in the engine room and scores goals His opener put England on the road at Khalifa International Stadium.
Picking the perfect moment, Bellingham picked up a Luke Shaw pass from the left, and headed back past the keeper into the top corner in the 35th minute to become the first player born during or after 2000 to score at a World Cup. .

Shaw was again the assist for England’s second goal when his corner was headed back by Harry Maguire from inside the box for Saka, who volleyed into the top corner.
The match then effectively ended as a competition as Sterling added a third goal, ending with a volley from Harry Kane’s cross after Bellingham once again engaged in the assist.
However, England didn’t finish, as Saka scored the second in the 62nd minute.
Sterling, who was being watched closely after a combination at Chelsea, passed midfield and passed to Saka, who dribbled from inside to outside, before lowering his shoulder and calmly finishing into the bottom corner of the box. Fort.
Iran pulled back a goal when Vahid Amiri passed Taremi and he shot into the top corner past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford but Rashford came on in a series of England substitutions in the 70th minute and cut in. a defender before scoring his team’s fifth goal shortly after.
England’s Grealish scored his sixth from close range in the 90th minute after a run from substitute Callum Wilson and a cross from the right, before Taremi’s late-kick.
England played their second game against the United States on Friday and finished their Group B match against Wales on November 29.
(With Agency Input)