England Demolishes North Macedonia 7-0: Bukayo Saka Nets His First Professional Hat-trick

Bukayo Saka becomes the most youthful player to net a hat-trick for England since Theo Walcott’s feat against Croatia in September 2008

Bukayo Saka made his mark by scoring his career’s inaugural hat-trick as England cruised to their fourth victory in the Euro 2024 qualifiers by handing a crushing defeat to North Macedonia at Old Trafford.

Under Gareth Southgate’s leadership, England is steadily moving towards qualifying for next summer’s tournament in Germany. North Macedonia, though a modest adversary, didn’t hinder England’s striking display of offensive prowess.

The heart of the action was Arsenal’s Saka who fired an impressive treble and left the pitch to a standing ovation after securing the victory.

Despite a slow start against the resolute Macedonian defence, England picked up the pace when team captain Harry Kane scored his 57th international goal. Luke Shaw’s cross found Kane at the far post 29 minutes into the game, opening the floodgates.

Saka scored the second goal nine minutes later from Kyle Walker’s pass, and Marcus Rashford added the third just before half-time, thanks to Jordan Henderson’s selfless play.

The highlight of this one-sided game was Saka’s exquisite control of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long pass, followed by a thunderous left-foot shot high past the North Macedonian goalkeeper, Stole Dimitrievski, just two minutes into the second half.

Saka accomplished his momentous hat-trick after outrunning the defence to receive Kane’s pass, prompting Southgate to introduce a series of substitutions, allowing Kalvin Phillips to tap in a simple goal, making the scoreline 6-0.

With 17 minutes left on the clock, Kane netted his second from a penalty kick after John Stones was fouled, capping off England’s goal fest, resulting in their most significant win since the 10-0 triumph over San Marino in November 2021, and administering North Macedonia’s most severe defeat.

Englands Route to Euro 2024 Appears Unstoppable

England’s journey to the Euro 2024 couldn’t be more promising, with maximum points earned and their toughest match already concluded with a win against Italy in Naples.

Failure to qualify from this group would lead to a serious inquiry for England, but Southgate’s team’s approach has been praiseworthy, putting on an entertaining display of offensive football for a sold-out Old Trafford crowd.

While England may not face a serious challenge until they meet top-tier teams in a major tournament, this doesn’t mean Southgate won’t gain insights from qualifiers, even if the competition seems comfortable.

Southgate’s wealth of attacking options was evident in the goalscorers, emphasizing England’s depth. Manchester City’s Champions League winners, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, joined the action as substitutes while Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid’s young sensation, was absent due to injury.

Though North Macedonia were far outclassed, England executed a near-perfect dismantling of the opposition.

Saka Shines Brightest

With every match, Saka grows into a more refined England footballer, a fact reflected by his teammates’ sheer joy when he netted his third goal.

One of the big bonuses for Southgate is that Saka and Alexander-Arnold appear to be in perfect sync, particularly with the latter’s move into the midfield. They linked up for Saka’s spectacular second goal, a moment of sheer brilliance.

At the final whistle, Saka’s England colleagues presented him with the match ball, a memento for his first hat-trick. Given his talent, it’s likely not to be his last.

Player Ratings

Bukayo Saka led the player ratings with an average of 8.62. Alexander-Arnold followed with 7.87, while Kane, Rashford, Rice, Stones, Henderson, Phillips, Walker, Shaw, Foden, Grealish, Gallagher, Wilson, Pickford, and Maguire received 7.37, 7.29, 7.12, 7.07, 7.06, 6.80, 6.80, 6.64, 6.34, 6.26, 6.10, 6.05, 6.01, and 5.92, respectively.

Match Stats

England dominated the possession with 67% to North Macedonia’s 33%. England took 14 shots with 10 on target, while North Macedonia failed to take any shot. England also had 7 corners and committed 13 fouls, whereas North Macedonia committed 8 fouls and earned no corners.

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More about Bukayo Saka hat-trick

• Bukayo Saka’s Career Stats
• England National Football Team
• UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers
• Harry Kane’s International Career
• Gareth Southgate’s Coaching Profile
• Old Trafford Stadium
• UEFA Player Ratings Explanation