England get the job done with 1-0 win over Czechs

Early Sterling header proves decisive in disappointing match

England delivered an efficient but hardly scintillating display to beat Czech Republic 1-0 with an early Raheem Sterling header on Tuesday to advance to Euro 2020’s last 16 as Group D winners, with the Czechs through as one of the best third-placed teams. Sterling scored his and England’s second goal of the competition in the 12th minute but the initial injection of pace, intensity and crowd-pleasing excitement brought by Jack Grealish and teenager Bukayo Saka gradually dissipated as the game petered out into an utterly forgettable second half. Neither coach will mind though as they now begin to plot their assaults on the knockout phase.