England v Ivory Coast Live Commentary & Result, 3/29/22, Friendlies

That's all for today, goodbye!

That's now a run of nine games without defeat for England in all competitions since the Euros final. Their attention now turns to the Nations League in June, with their first match against Hungary. Ivory Coast suffer their second defeat on the bounce, something Beaumelle will be hoping to rectify soon.

England see out a 3-0 win over 10-man Ivory Coast. The hosts led 2-0 at half-time, with Watkins tapping in the first from close range before Sterling coolly slotted home. In between the two England goals, Aurier was sent off for two bookings, the first for a late challenge and the second for dissent. It was a much quieter second half, with Ward-Prowse and Smith Rowe both coming close before Mings headed in a third just before the final whistle.

90' + 4' FULL-TIME: ENGLAND 3-0 IVORY COAST.

P. Foden

Assist

90' + 3' Foden curls a good corner into the middle of the box and picks out Mings brilliantly.

T. Mings

Goal

90' + 3' MINGS SCORES! It's a good corner from Foden and Mings is tussling with Coulibaly in the middle. He pushes the defender away and heads his effort down into the ground. The bounce catches out Sangare, and it ends up in the top corner. 3-0 England!

P. Akouokou

J. Seri

90' + 3' Final change for Ivory Coast here and Seri is going off, with Akouokou coming on for the final seconds.

90' + 2' GREAT CHANCE! Walker-Peters plays a one-two with Foden down the right and pulls a great ball back from the byline. Smith Rowe gets there ahead of two Ivory Coast defenders but drags his shot just wide of the far post.

90' Maguire lifts a good long ball over the top from inside the centre circle, but Kane just misjudges his touch on the edge of the D. It bounces through the crowd in the box, and Kane chases it down until it rolls into Sangare's gloves.

88' Konan has gone down with what looks like cramp here. The referee pauses the game, but the substitute is able to carry on without any treatment.

Y. Boli

S. Haller

86' It's been a frustrating night for Haller, who has barely had a touch of the ball, and Boli comes on to replace him for the last few minutes.

84' England are still comfortable in possession, and they're keeping Ivory Coast penned back in their own half. Foden is trying his best to find a way into the box from the right, but Kamara isn't giving him any space.

82' There are half-hearted shouts for a penalty from the England fans after Walker-Peters ends up on the floor after turning Boly. The referee shakes his head and Kane couldn't react quick enough to latch onto the loose ball.

C. Gallagher

J. Ward-Prowse

80' Final change for England now and it's Ward-Prowse that's going off for Gallagher.

78' CHANCE! Shaw gives away a free-kick down the right and Seri whips a great cross into the box. Deli drifts away from his defender and hits the shot on the volley, but he fires it high over the bar from close range.

76' Walker-Peters bundles his way down the right and he manages to squeeze a low cross through Boly's legs and into the six-yard box. Smith Rowe is caught on his heels though and Deli has time to clear his lines.

74' England's press is causing Ivory Coast some real problems when they do win possession back and Coulibaly is forced to go long when Shaw closes him down. It's another poor pass towards Haller though, and Maguire cuts this one out.

72' Foden loses possession and Ivory Coast are able to just slow down the pace of the game again. Kamara decides to try and put some pressure on the hosts, but his long ball is nowhere near Haller and it goes straight out of play.

70' CLOSE! The Ivory Coast players sit back and allow Ward-Prowse space as he pushes forward, so he decides to have a go from range. His effort is swerving and dipping, Sangare is beaten, but it sails just over the bar.

68' Smith Rowe gets away from his defender again and tries to play a one-two with Bellingham to get into space at the near post. The return pass is overhit though, and it rolls harmlessly out of play.

66' Smith Rowe dribbles through a crowd of Ivory Coast defenders before laying it off to Bellingham, but he has Seri tight to him. He switches it out to Shaw instead, and he fizzes a dangerous cross into the box which is put out for a corner.

G. Konan

M. Cornet

64' Ivory Coast are making another change as well now, with Konan coming on for Cornet.

P. Foden

R. Sterling

62' And the other goal scorer, Sterling is also going off, with Foden on for him.

H. Kane

O. Watkins

62' There's also a change up front, with Kane on in place of Watkins.

E. Smith Rowe

J. Grealish

62' Grealish is also taken off, with Smith Rowe on to replace him.

L. Shaw

T. Mitchell

62' Four changes for England here, and Mitchell is the first to make way, with Shaw on in his place.

60' The hosts work it down the right this side and Sterling drops back before picking out Walker-Peters, who made the overlapping run. He drills a shot on goal from the edge of the box, but Kessie is there to block it.

58' Grealish does well to keep it in play before laying it off to Bellingham at the near post. He tries to chip it to Watkins on the far side, but his cross is blocked by Agbadou.

56' England are starting to find a lot more space in behind Ivory Coast now and Ward-Prowse slides it through for Bellingham. He makes another good driving run, but can't pick out Watkins with his cross.

54' Grealish spins away from Coulibaly but he's forced wide when Kamara comes in behind him. The defender slides in with a poor challenge from behind and England win another free-kick, but nothing comes of it.

52' England are keeping the ball well in the opening minutes of this second half, and Ivory Coast just can't get a touch. It's a lovely throughball from Grealish to Sterling, but the forward can't find a way past Boly.

50' A free-kick is taken short to Bellingham and he gets away from Coulibaly with a clever drop of the shoulder. He whips a dangerous cross into the six-yard box, but it's just behind Sterling in the middle.

48' NO PENALTY! VAR has a look at it and then asks the referee to go over to the monitor so he can see the replays. It is actually a good tackle from the defender, who gets to the ball first, and the decision is overturned.

46' PENALTY TO ENGLAND! It's squared across the box to Bellingham and Coulibaly is coming in behind him. He gets a touch on the ball to take it away from the midfielder, who then goes to ground, and the referee points to the spot.

46' Ivory Coast get us back under way for the second half!

F. Coulibaly

M. Gradel

46' And Gradel is the final player making way, with Coulibaly on for him.

E. Agbadou

E. Bailly

46' Bailly is also taken off, with Agbadou on in his place.

W. Boly

N. Pépé

46' Ivory Coast are making a triple change of their own. Pepe, who struggled to get into the game in the first half, is replaced by Boly.

K. Walker-Peters

B. White

46' England are making a change at the break, and it's White that's going off. Walker-Peters replaces him.

Southgate will be pleased with that first half; his side looked comfortable throughout and created some great chances. Ivory Coast have only made their job harder after the sending-off of their captain. Some of their build-up play has looked good, but they've been let down by sloppy passes in the final third when they have got forward.

England lead 10-man Ivory Coast 2-0 at half-time. England had a bright first half, with Bellingham and Grealish being denied by the keeper early on. Watkins tapped into an empty net after some great work by Sterling. Aurier then received two bookings, the first for a foul and the second for dissent which saw him sent off. Sterling slotted home the second just before the break after seeing his first shot saved.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: ENGLAND 2-0 IVORY COAST.

J. Grealish

Assist

45' Grealish took up a good position down the left of the box and took it down before picking out Sterling, who was unmarked through the middle.

R. Sterling

Goal

45' STERLING SCORES! He makes a good run, cutting inside from the right before firing a shot straight down the middle from just inside the box. Sangare parries it away, but only to Grealish, who squares to Sterling, and he coolly slots it in. There's a quick VAR check for offside, but it stands! 2-0 England!

44' England are dominating possession now and they're trying to break down Ivory Coast, who are dropping deeper in an attempt to close down the space.

42' Ivory Coast aren't happy with that decision and they're swarming around the referee. Grealish is also trying to make a case for the Ivory Coast captain, but he won't be changing his mind.

40' AURIER IS OFF! Aurier raced over to the referee and was asking why he wasn't awarded a free-kick when he was dragged down by Grealish. The referee isn't happy with that, and he pulls out the yellow card to book him for dissent. That's his second booking, so he's given his marching orders. Ivory Coast are down to 10 men!

39' CHANCE! The referee allows play to carry on when Watkins nicks it off Aurier and Bellingham strides forward down the left. He cuts inside and decides to go it alone and whips his shot just wide of the far post.

38' Pepe takes the corner short to Gradel before getting it back in a better position for a cross. He has a lot of bodies to aim for in the middle but blasts his cross high into the stands.

36' Ivory Coast work it nicely upfield again and Cornet plays it into Kessie from the left. He does well to hold off Rice, only for his throughball to Pepe to be cut out by Mings.

34' CHANCE! Ward-Prowse steps up to another free-kick for England and floats a brilliant cross onto the penalty spot. Rice gets ahead of his marker and flicks the header on, but it's straight down the middle at Sangare.

J. Seri

Yellow Card

33' The yellow card is out again here, this time for Seri who slides in late on Sterling and catches him with his studs.

S. Aurier

Yellow Card

32' Aurier drags Grealish to the ground and he's shown a yellow card for the challenge.

R. Sterling

Assist

30' Aurier just couldn't figure out which way Sterling wanted to go and it was clever play from the captain to get away from him to set up the goal.

O. Watkins

Goal

30' WATKINS SCORES! It's all about the build-up play from Sterling here as he latches onto Bailly's loose touch and leaves Aurier on the floor as he cuts inside from the left. He fizzes a low cross into the six-yard box and Watkins is completely unmarked as he taps it in from very close range. 1-0 England!

28' Bellingham pulls a lovely cross back from the byline on the left and Sterling brings it down on the far side with an equally good touch. He volleys a shot across goal, and Deli makes another important block.

26' Rice slides in to win the ball back high upfield and England work it out to Sterling on the right. He curls an early cross into the box and there are some shouts for a handball against Deli. His arm was tight to his side though, and it's only a corner.

24' Ivory Coast get away with a couple of sloppy passes when playing out from the back and Kessie suddenly finds space to pick out Cornet. Maguire is tight to him again though and does well to shield it out for a goal-kick.

22' England are enjoying a good spell of possession here and Maguire threads it through to Sterling. He's got Kessie tight to him though, and the hosts are forced to work it out from the back again.

20' SAVE! It's a lovely pick out from Ward-Prowse to spot Grealish on the left and he's up against Aurier. He drags it back, away from the defender, before drilling a shot at the near post, but it's straight at Sangare.

19' African nations have lost five of their six matches against England at Wembley, with the other game finishing in a 1-1 draw with Ghana exactly 11 years prior to this match.

17' It's much better from Ivory Coast as Kamara drives down the left before slipping it through to Cornet. He has Maguire tight to him though, and the defender gets in front of him to block the cross.

15' GOOD SAVE! It's a lovely move from England, with Bellingham playing a good one-two with Sterling to get in behind. He tries to sneak it in at the near post, but Sangare makes himself big and the shot deflects off his leg and onto the post.

13' It's a poor clearance from Seri at the byline, and he gifts it to Rice inside his own box. Ivory Coast defenders flood back quickly though and throw themselves in front of his shot.

11' Kamara gives Sterling a nudge in the back and England win a free-kick down the right. Ward-Prowse whips a great ball towards Mings at the far post, but Deli nods it out for a corner ahead of him.

9' Sterling has gone down and it looks like he has a problem with his thigh. The medical team are on to give him treatment and it looks like he's going to carry on.

8' Rice stops Ivory Coast from breaking on the counter and drives down the left. Grealish is up with him in support, and he cuts inside and clips a cross to the near post, which Bailly clears ahead of Watkins.

6' Ivory Coast are trying to play out from the back in an attempt to press England. Sangare tries to pick out Kamara but hits a poor pass straight out of play.

4' Grealish pushes forward for England this time, making a good weaving run as he cuts inside from the left. He tries to thread it through to Watkins, but Bailly slides in to win it.

2' England have made a bright start to the game and are already pushing forward. It's switched out to Sterling on the right, but his pullback to Bellingham is cut out by Kamara.

1' Sterling gets the game under way for England!

The teams are out on the pitch, the national anthems have been sung, and kick-off is just moments away!

England are unbeaten in all 19 previous matches against African countries (W13 D6), with this their first meeting with a side from the continent since beating Tunisia 2-1 in the 2018 World Cup group stage.

Patrice Beaumelle makes just four changes to the side that started the defeat to France last time out. Deli, Cornet, Kamara and Gradel are all brought in. Boly, Konan and Ibrahim Sangare drop to the bench, while Wilfried Zaha isn't included in the squad.

Gareth Southgate makes 10 changes from the win over Switzerland on Saturday, only retaining White, who was called upon after John Stones got injured in the warm-up for that game. Mitchell and Watkins both make their first starts for England, and Grealish and Sterling are providing the support to the forward today.

IVORY COAST SUBS: Mohamed Kone, Karim Konate, Yohan Boli, Ibrahim Sangare, Ismael Diallo, Emmanuel Agbadou, Abdoul Karim Cisse, Willy Boly, Ghislain Konan, Fousseny Coulibaly, Jean Evrard Kouassi, Paul Akouokou.

IVORY COAST STARTING XI (4-4-2): Badra Ali Sangare; Serge Aurier, Eric Bailly, Simon Deli, Hassane Kamara; Nicolas Pepe, Franck Kessie, Jean Michael Seri, Max-Alain Gradel; Maxwel Cornet, Sebastian Haller.

ENGLAND SUBS: Jordan Henderson, Fraser Forster, Jordan Pickford, Phil Foden, Luke Shaw, Harry Kane, Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Emile Smith Rowe, Kyle Walker-Peters, Conor Coady, Mason Mount.

ENGLAND STARTING XI (4-2-3-1): Nick Pope; Ben White, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Tyrick Mitchell; James Ward-Prowse, Declan Rice; Raheem Sterling, Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish; Ollie Watkins.

These sides are meeting for the first time ever in international football. In their last game, England came from behind to beat Switzerland 2-1. They're unbeaten in their eight games since the Euro 2020 final (W6 D2), as they look to continue their preparation for this year's World Cup. Ivory Coast played their first game since an Africa Cup of Nations last-16 exit last Friday and suffered a 2-1 defeat to France.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the international friendly between England and Ivory Coast at Wembley Stadium!

England v Ivory Coast Live Commentary, 3/29/22

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