North Macedonia 1-1 England: Player ratings as limp Three Lions end 2023 unbeaten
England secured their unbeaten record in 2023 as they finished their successful qualification campaign for the UEFA European Championship in Germany next year with an uninspired 1-1 draw with North Macedonia in Skopje on Monday night.
The Three Lions had already confirmed top spot in Group C while their opponents were out of the running, but it was the hosts who took a surprise lead as Enis Bardhi eventually converted after Rico Lewis was harshly penalised for handball.
Gareth Southgate's side managed to draw level as a corner was bundled in Jani Atanasov for an own goal. England had won the reverse fixture 7-0 but weren't anywhere near as creative or clinical at Tose Proeski Arena.
No winner was found but that mattered little to England at the top of the group, though the manner of their two performances in the November international break have not matched their lofty ambition of being the number one ranked team in the world.
England's first game of the November international break had not inspired much excitement, with the Three Lions scrapping their way to a 2-0 win over Malta on Friday night.
Southgate's side spluttered through the motions for most of the first half, going closest when Declan Rice drove into the box and hit the post, and looked unconvincing at the back. Harry Maguire survived a couple of scares in quick succession, giving the ball away and then colliding into Elif Elmas with no penalty awarded.
The breakthrough instead came for the hosts, who were gifted a penalty by an extremely contentious VAR call enforced by referee Filip Glova.
Debutant Lewis won a header but a flailing arm caught Bojan Miovski in the face behind him. Bardhi's strike was well saved by Jordan Pickford but the Everton couldn't keep out
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