Jude Bellingham’s late equalizer rescued England from a potential second consecutive defeat at Wembley Stadium, as defensive lapses threatened to undermine them in the friendly against Belgium.
After suffering a home loss to Brazil, Gareth Southgate’s reconfigured team displayed a blend of promise in attack but vulnerability at the back, a weakness Belgium capitalized on before Bellingham’s dramatic intervention in the dying seconds.
England’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford committed a rare error, his first in 60 international appearances, as his poor clearance led to Youri Tielemans giving Belgium the lead after just 11 minutes.
Ivan Toney, making his first start for England, leveled the score from the penalty spot six minutes later, opening his international account after being fouled by veteran Jan Vertonghen.
Finally broke my Wembley curse.š¤ Proud of how this squad reacted to all the setbacks this week. See you in the Summer!š¤ pic.twitter.com/sg0rhXlBZj
ā Jude Bellingham (@BellinghamJude) March 26, 2024
Despite having a close-range header from Jarrod Bowen disallowed for offside, England’s defensive frailties were exposed again as Belgium regained the lead nine minutes before halftime. Lewis Dunk’s error allowed Romelu Lukaku to deliver a pinpoint cross for Tielemans to head home.
While England had opportunities of their own, including Bellingham missing two chances and Phil Foden’s effort across the face of goal, Belgium goalkeeper Matz Sels denied Bowen with a fine save. Bellingham eventually made amends for his earlier misses by slotting home a low finish with virtually the final kick of the game, securing a deserved draw for England.