FIFA World Cup 2022 Live, England vs Iran© AFP
Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for England with a terrific header in the 35th minute, courtesy of a Luke Shaw cross. Bukay Saka then doubled the scoring for England in the 44th minute. Two minutes later, Raheem Sterling scored the third for England. Earlier, Gareth Southgate handed Bukayo Saka a place in England’s starting line-up and kept faith with struggling defender Harry Maguire as the Three Lions kicked off their World Cup campaign against Iran in Doha on Monday. Arsenal forward Saka, who missed the decisive penalty in England’s Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat against Italy, got the nod from Southgate instead of Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. Iran were without key striker Sardar Azmoun after the Bayer Leverkusen star failed to recover from a calf injury that has kept him out since October. Mehdi Taremi, the Porto striker who has impressed on the Champions League stage, was partnered by former Brighton forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the Iran attack. (LIVE MATCHCENTRE).