PARIS: England eased to a 3-1 victory away to Finland in the Nations League on Sunday, while Austria put five past Erling Haaland’s Norway.

Jack Grealish put England ahead in the first half, then Trent Alexander-Arnold curled in a superb free-kick and Declan Rice sealed the win inside the final 20 minutes, before Arttu Hoskonen netted a late consolation for the hosts.

It was a more recognizable England side than the one that lost to Greece at Wembley on Thursday as interim manager Lee Carsley rang the changes after his striker-less formation last time out failed. “The team responded really well — in the best way,” Carsley told ITV. “They scored three good goals. We were a lot better tonight. We played with a lot more control. We had massive possession, lots and lots of passes and created chances. But we can do better.” Manchester City’s Grealish broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, providing the finishing touch to a well-crafted 17-pass move.

Angel Gomes, starting in central midfield, slipped a clever ball through the Finnish defence, which Grealish ran onto and rolled beyond the goalkeeper. Finland created several good opportunities to equalize but failed to suitably trouble Dean Henderson in the England goal.

Alexander-Arnold, deployed at left-back rather than his usual right-back position at Liverpool, doubled the lead on 74 minutes when he whipped a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner. Rice tucked away substitute Ollie Watkins cross with six minutes remaining to ensure England’s third Nations League win in four Group B2 games.

Finland remain rooted to the bottom of the table having lost all their games, but they did at least double their goal tally for the campaign when Hoskonen headed home from a corner in the 87th minute.

Greece maintained their three-point lead at the top of the group over England by beating the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in Athens. Tasos Bakasetas powered a drive from the edge of the box beyond Caoimhin Kelleher early in the second period and Petros Mantalos netted in stoppage time to preserve the Greeks’ 100 percent record with a fourth-consecutive win. The match was Greece’s first at home since George Baldock, their English-born Greek international, was found drowned in his swimming pool in Athens on Wednesday.

Austria keep Haaland quiet

Marko Arnautovic netted a brace as Austria thrashed Norway 5-1 in Linz. The Inter Milan attacker scored early in both halves, either side of a first-half Alexander Sorloth equalizer, before Philipp Lienhart, Stefan Posch and Michael Gregoritsch completed a dominant win for Austria.

Arnautovic put the hosts in front on eight minutes with a hammered strike from 20 yards that flew in off the crossbar. Sorloth nipped in to head a leveller for Norway six minutes prior to the interval.

But the Austrian skipper put his side back in front in the 49th minute when he dispatched a penalty-kick after Christoph Baumgartner was fouled in the box. Defenders Lienhart and Posch extended the lead with two towering headers two minutes either side of the hour mark.

Gregoritsch then scored a third header of the half for the Austrians as they made the game safe and moved second in Group B3. Manchester City star Haaland had a night to forget with the Austrian defence comfortably subduing the Norwegian captain whose only real chance was a shot which came back off the post in the fifth minute.

Slovenia sit third in the group, although level on seven points with both Norway and Austria, after winning 1-0 in Kazakhstan courtesy of a second-half goal from forward Jan Mlakar. On Monday, Belgium host 2021 Nations League champions France while old rivals Germany and Netherlands clash in Munich. — AFP