England defeats Iran 6-2 to get off to a strong start at the World Cup in Qatar
The Three Lions got things started with a goal from Jude Bellingham (35), and after goals from Bukayo Saka (43) and Raheem Sterling (45+1), they had a three-goal advantage at the half.
Saka scored his second goal of the match for England in the second half with another deft finish (62), but Mehdi Taremi’s goal for Iran served as a wake-up call for Southgate’s team (65).
With only his third touch (71) after entering the field, replacement Marcus Rashford added a fifth goal for England, and another substitute, Jack Grealish, added a sixth (90).
A slight hiccup occurred shortly before the final whistle when referee Raphael Claus was prompted by VAR to inspect the pitchside monitor after John Stones was seen to have pulled Taremi’s jersey. When the penalty was given, Taremi handled himself well and misdirected Jordan Pickford.
Despite Iran’s late goal, it was the start Southgate could only have imagined as his team raced to the top of Group B. Southgate has faced some criticism due to his team’s poor run of form going up to the tournament.
