Montenegro 1-4 England LIVE: Ross Barkley leads rout as Harry Kane and Michael Keane notch

MONTENEGRO 1-4 ENGLAND – LIVE!

• Ross Barkley bags brace as England run riot in Podgorica
• Harry Kane seals England’s fourth in blitzing counter-attack
• Michael Keane equalises with a back post header after early setback
• England will stay top of Euro 2020 qualification group with a win

71: GOAL! SUPERB FROM ENGLAND! Kane caps off a blitzing counter-attack. Montenegro have an uncharacteristically high line and Barkley punishes it with a clipped pass to Sterling, whose pace immediately gets him beyond the last defender. Kane breaks with him and, ensuring he’s onside, calmly passes Sterling’s pinpoint ball in the corner.

66: England have had 66 per cent possession so far tonight. Despite the early setback, they have never panicked, regaining control with consummate ease.

64: ENGLAND SUB – Jordan Henderson come son for Dele Alli.

58: GOAL! ENGLAND 3-1! Barkley adds to what has already been an impressive performance by finishing off a patient move from Southgate’s side. Kane unleashed Sterling on the right, and the winger played with the full-back before passing into the six-yard box. Savic’s heel deflected the cross towards the penalty area, where Barkley arrived to sweep home a third.

55: Golden opportunity for Beciraj, who pounces on Rose’s dawdling. After scrapping for the ball in the area, the striker gets away a shot from eight yards but it is wide of the post.

53: Barkley is carded for taking a free-kick quickly, without the referee’s blessing. Nothing comes from the eventual, legitimate free-kick.

51: Hudson-Odoi is at the heart of the Three Lions’ industry again. Kane picks up the ball from deep and unlocks CHO, who advances forward and curls an effort goalwards, which draws a decent save from Petkovic.

50: Montenegro have come out with a bit of bite – not allowing England as much time on the ball. 

46: The second half is up and running!

HALF-TIME: MONTENEGRO 1-2 ENGLAND

44: Hudson-Odoi’s switch to the left has borne a lot of fruit. He looks menacing on that flank, and keeps getting on the ball. It is, in turn, leaving Sterling in space on the right, which can only be a good thing.

38: GOAL! ENGLAND LEAD! Hudson-Odoi may welll have registered his first England goal on his full debut, but Barkley makes no mistake about the ball destination. After cutting in from the left dangerously, Hudson-Odoi curls an effort towards the bottom corner, with his Chelsea team-mate intercepting its path by cushioning a volley past the disorientated Montenegro keeper.

35: Close! Hudson-Odoi, now operating on the left, darts towards the box and clips a ball to Sterling at the back post. The forward tries to tee up Kane in the middle, but Montenegro defenders mop up the danger.

33: Pickford is tested from range soon after the goal, but catches the effort comfortably. Montenegro needed a goal to loosen them up, and England needed a goal to flow slightly more freely. Game on.

30: GOAL! ENGLAND EQUALISE! Boy do Southgate’s boys love a set-piece. There’s nothing special about this one. Barkley clips in an inviting ball from wide right, and Keane rises highest at the back post, heading it back across the keeper into the bottom corner.

26: Signs of frustration from England as Walker lambasts Hudson-Odoi, who is playing in front of him. Vesovic found space down the right after the Man City full-back advanced forward, but CHO was not covering him. 

21: So much for a damp squib! Terrific goal by Vesovic, with a sprinkling of luck in the works. Montenegro now look more assured in possession with the depleted home crowd in good voice.

17: GOAL! 1-0 MONTENEGRO! Vesovic picks up the ball deep in England’s half and goes on a little adventure. He dribbles past two players and, in trying to nutmeg Keane, luckily had the ball bobble back to him. The next few movements were terrific. He angled his body so the goal opened up and whipped a curling effort past Pickford into the far right corner.

16: Quite a damp squib in the opening stages, this. Montenegro are defiantly keeping two men up top in their 4-4-2 formation – not that those forwards are seeing much of the ball.

12: Boy, some mesmeric footwork from Sterling gets him to the right side of the area, where he darts in a cross towards Kane, who can’t get enough on it and sends the ball over.

 11: I can’t recall Montenegro having possession in England’s half so far. All England, who have another corner.

07: After patient build-up play, Walker zips a pass to Hudson-Odoi on the right. The Chelsea man gets a yard on his man and whips in a cross, which is headed out. Maguire meets the ball from the ensuing corner but heads over.

04: Hudson-Odoi takes down a well-weighted crossfield pass from Sterling as his first touch, but loses it with his second. Odd atmosphere here, with many empty seats.

02: Early possession for England as Montenegro look happy to sit back without the ball. 

01: We are underway in Podgorica! How will Rice and Hudson-Odoi fare on their first full debuts? Will Sterling continue his stellar form? All will be answered over the next two hours – stay tuned to find out.

KICK-OFF!

10 MINUTES TIL KICK-OFF (19.35)

Southgate was smiling and joking on the pitch in the build-up, with no fresh injury worries coming out of the line-up.

This is a great chance for England to assert their dominance on the group after just two games – if they win and Kosovo and Bulgaria draw, the Three Lions could have a four-point lead at the top already.

Players are now emerging from the dressing rooms, brace yourself for the God Save The Queen.

RISE IN VALUE OF STERLING

Southgate spoke before the game of how Sterling, who scored a hat-trick against Czech Republic, has grown in maturity over the last year.

The Man City forward has dovetailed his exceptional form with being a spokesperson for black footballers, and, aged 24, is already part of England’s “leadership group”.

“In between November and March, observing his maturity and influence, I felt that would be a good step for him,” Southgate said.

“I think when you speak to other young players, he’s one of the first they speak about making them feel really comfortable in the environment. That was a really important move for him.

“We’ve had three or four players captaining the team, and Raheem is developing lots of the qualities those guys have. He has those qualities.”

SYSTEM ERROR (19.20)

Southgate believes 4-3-3 allows the attacking players to have more freedom but also allows the team to regain possession further up the pitch.

Harry Kane describes it as “fluid”, with the manager making the switch after the World Cup, where 3-5-2 was the flavour of the month.

We will see Southgate continue with his front three set-up tonight as England fans expect another victory.

’THIS SQUAD IS RUTHLESS’ (19.10)

Darren Bent, who scored here when England drew 2-2 in qualifying for Euro 2012, knows this is a hard venue to visit – but has the utmost confidence in Southgate’s squad.

“It will not be like anything the (young) players have experienced but this England team is playing with no fear and it will not faze them,” he told Radio 5 live.

“We have players playing in the Champions League and those big games are paying dividends and the players will believe they’re the better side and do a demolition job.

“The squad is ruthless. Once upon a time, this would have been daunting but not now.”

NOT TOO PETRIFYING IN PODGORICA (19.00)

England and Montenegro fans were mingling without incident in the streets and bars adjacent to the Gradski Stadion ahead of the Euro 2020 qualifier in Podgorica.

England are looking for their first victory in Montenegro after drawing their previous two matches here.

Wayne Rooney was sent off in a 2-2 draw in 2011, with goalkeeper Joe Hart hit by a variety of items as it ended 1-1 in another intense draw two years later.

There is heavy police presence but appears to be no immediate threat of any of the joviality spilling over into pre-match trouble.

THINKING BEHIND THE SELECTION (18.40)

Henderson spoke a lot about the prospect of making his 50th appearance for England at yesterday’s press conference, but Southgate has left him out of the starting line-up.

That is because the Liverpool skipper, who has more caps than any other player in the squad, has a slight ankle worry.

Southgate said he had “no hesitation” fielding youngsters tonight and stayed true to his word, with the average age at 24 years.

TEAM NEWS (18.20)

Declan Rice and Callum Hudson-Odoi make their first England starts, with the injured Jadon Sancho and Eric Dier dropping out. 

It’s four changes overall for Southgate, with Danny Rose and Ross Barkley also coming in for Ben Chilwell and Jordan Henderson.

For the hosts, former Manchester City defender Stefan Savic was passed fit to captain, while Monaco striker and main threat Stevan Jovetic is ruled out through injury.

England: Pickford; Walker, Keane, Maguire, Rose; Rice, Barkley, Alli; Sterling, Kane, Hudson-Odoi.

Montenegro: Petkovic; Stojkovic, Savic, Simic, Tomasevic; Marusic, Ivanic, Vukcevic, Vesovic, Beciraj; Mugosa.

GOOD EVENING (18.15)

Welcome to live coverage of England’s second Euro 2020 qualification group match against Montenegro in Podgorica.

Gareth Southgate’s boys will stay top with a win in eastern Europe – but that’s easier said than done. The Three Lions have drawn their last two games at the Podgorica City Stadium in what promises to be a hostile atmosphere.

Southgate has vowed that the environment will not affect his team selection as he has “no hesitation” in picking young players to do the business. We’ll see if he sticks to that vow, with team news imminent…