Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — England 1st with 20 points, Malta 5th with 0, 20 apart. Recent form told a different story for Malta: only 47th in the league over the last five rounds despite sitting 5th. Per game in the league, England were scoring 2.75 and conceding 0.5, Malta 0.25 and 2.5, against a competition average of 1.44 goals per team per game.
England arrived on a run of three straight wins, having scored in 11 consecutive games. Malta entered with three losses in a row. Over the last five, England had taken 13 of 15 points to Malta's 3.
Wembley Stadium, capacity 90,000, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: England led 1-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 2-0.
Goal scorers
England: Enrico Pepe (8' og), Harry Kane (75')
Key stats
Possession: England 75% · Malta 25% · Total shots: 11-4 · On target: 3-0 · Corners: 6-2