England vs Iran HIGHLIGHTS FIFA World Cup: Saka stars with braces as ENG thrash IRN 6-2

welcome to Sportstar HIGHLIGHTS of the FIFA World Cup match between England and Iran.

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FULL TIME

10 minutes added. Pickford pulls off a brilliant save one-on-one to deny Sardar Azmoun. That could be a bit of a consolation for Iran. A potential penalty is checked by the referee for VAR. A shirt pull inside the box and Iran win a penalty. Taremi steps up and sends Pickford the other way and puts it in on the right. ENG 6-2 IRN. An emphatic win for England and it should mark their credibility as a potential title contender.

90′

England have a scary moment as Iran almost sneak out on a counter-attack. But Iranian attackers can’t find the right pass and the counter-attack falters. At the other end, Rashford shows his selflessness as he sets up Grealish for a tap-in, which he duly does. ENG 6-1 IRN

86′

Rashford looks like a man possessed as he dribbles and chases his way past several defenders, but his shot is eventually blocked. He is at it again with a dribble, but his pass forward is a bit exaggerated.

82′

The game seems to have settled on course. Iran appear to have accepted their fate as England look set to enter the full-time whistle.

78′

Sardar Azmoun is introduced and he gets the loudest cheer of the day. The player had just recovered from a calf injury.

75′

England kisses. Rashford’s goal has restored the four-goal lead. Meanwhile, Harry Kane is taken off for Callum Wilson.

70′

Maguire appears to have suffered a concussion and Dier comes on. Also introduced is Rashford, who is immediately released by Kane. Rashford cuts back and puts it in with his left foot. ENG 5-1 IRN

65′

IRAN GETS ONE BACK!!! Iran shows composure with the ball and finds the holes in England’s defence. Gholizadeh flicks off a sumptuous reverse pass for striker Taremi to tap into the roof of the net. IRAN STILL BELIEVES

62′

SAKA AGAIN!!! Another left-footed finish. This time it’s Sterling who finds Saka, who cuts back to his left foot and slams it into the goal. ENG 4-0 IRN.

60′

Englans have not succeeded in maintaining the intensity from the first half. It has not tested the Iranian goal yet, in the second half.

56′

Bellingham dances its way onto the touchline, but fails to get a cross. However, England get a number of corners but don’t make it count. Maguire shows great composure to bring the ball out of defence, and Kane then releases Sterling with a flick. However, Sterling was unable to get a shot on target.

52′

Harry Kane is down and looks like he’s twisted his ankle. Physio is in to have a look at him and he seems fine. The resulting free-kick is smashed into the wall by Trippier, who is the next to go down after a painful jab to his foot

48′

Iran lose possession in midfield and England set up to attack, before opting to pass it around for a bit more control.

The second half begins

Iran brings in three changes to reverse the trend. England will look for the misery.

45+

Another corner for England, but Iran’s defenders hold their ground. England look threatening even in the final moments of the first half. Iran finally makes a chance of its own. Taremi finds Jahanbaksh in the box, but the latter’s first-time volley was a disappointing one as it flies wide of the post. And the first half ends with ENGLAND 3-0 IRAN

45′

Kane finds a meter of space down the right and he places it for Sterling to take. ENGLAND 3-0 IRAN. Meanwhile, 14 minutes were added.

43′

Iran concede another corner and England make it pay again. Maguire rises highest and heads it down Saka to thump it in with his left foot into the top corner . ENGLAND IS RUNNING WITH THIS.

40′

England get the decisive first goal and it has come in the first half. Iran are looking for ways to claw their way back into the game but are constantly being shut out by England.

36′

Luke Shaw gets space on the left to cross it in and it’s Jude Bellingham who leaps highest to push it home. ENG 1-0 IRN

33′

Another corner for England and Trippier is again at the end. He swings one in and Maguire gets his head on it and it’s going to hit the crossbar. GREAT CHANCE!!!

30′

The case is tackled hard by Majid Hoseini. England play their way up and after an intricate piece of play. Saka releases Mount, but his shot just crashes into the side netting.

26′

Jahanbaksh is the first player to receive a yellow card today after a foul-time challenge. England lose their rhythm as Iran insistently break up the play

23′

Iran make their first attack in England’s third and win a free kick. But the delivery is not perfect, and the chance disappears.

20′

Beiranvand tries to resume but soon indicates that he must be replaced. He gets out, while players from England pass the ball around to keep the intensity up. Beiranvand is taken off with a suspected concussion and in comes Hossein Hosseini.

12′

A short break when Iran goalkeeper Beiranvand is down after a collision with his teammate. The physios take a look and it looks like a facial injury since Beiranvand is still on the ground.

9′

England win a free-kick and Trippier chooses to take it quickly and Kane crosses it in, but none of the England players could get a touch in, with Maguire last. Solid chance there for England.

6′

England start from behind again. Iran haven’t had a possession yet as England move the ball around with ease. Luke Shaw puts in a cross, but Iran’s defense is alert to it.

3′

England with early control of possession. And it wins the first corner of the night from the left. Trippier swings it in but it’s too deep.

Kickoff

England players take a knee before kick-off.

IRAN SET OUT

IRAN PLAYING 11: Beiranvand, Hosseini, Cheshmi, Pouraliganji, Mohammadi, Karimi, Moharrami, Hajsafi (C), Nourollahi, Taremi, Jahanbakhsh

ENGLAND LINEUP OUT

ENGLAND PLAYING 11: Pickford (GK); Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Rice, Bellingham; Sterling, Mount, Saka; Kane

PREVIEW

England manager Gareth Southgate, increasingly looking like the helpless protagonist of the Hangman game, will need his side to play a spirited game and deliver a positive result in their World Cup opener against Iran to stop the noose tightening further .

A contract that runs until December 2024 has given Southgate no consolation with recent results – a winless Nations League run – and a lack of imagination in his game is robbing him of all the goodwill that a run to the EURO finals would have given him last year. The manager, further handicapped by the injury absence of Chelsea back pair Reece James and Ben Chilwell, has plenty to worry about in his defense with Harry Maguire struggling for form and the ever-reliable Kyle Walker yet to arrive themselves.

Upfront, Harry Kane – the England captain – would be Southgate’s key man with Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka operating from wide areas in a 3-4-3 system. With Leicester City’s James Maddison and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips doubtful after missing training, England could benefit from the inclusion of 19-year-old Jude Bellingham, who could bring the fearlessness of youth to strike fear into the Iranian ranks alongside the measured and experienced Declan Rice.

Led by former Manchester United and Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz for the third time at a World Cup, Iran’s attacking threat will come from Mehdi Taremi, who has 28 goals in 60 games, as Bayer Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun – the Iranian Messi – is yet to recovering from a calf injury sustained in October.

Known for his safety first, Queiroz could pack his midfield in a 4-5-1 system in an attempt to deny England any room to dictate the game. In Alireza Jahanbakhsh and skipper Ehsan Hajsafi, who is playing his 122nd cap, Team Melli has enough experience to threaten the confidence-worn English defence.

The 20th ranked team in the world will be no pushover in this first international meeting between these nations with frosty diplomatic ties.

-AYON SENGUPTA