Southgate admits disappointment at conceding twice despite rampant England win over Iran

England recorded biggest opening game winBut Three Lions conceded twice in second halfSouthgate disappointed by Iran goals

WHAT HAPPENED? The Three Lions made a strong start in Qatar on Monday as they had a 4-0 lead an hour into the tie. Mehdi Taremi pulled one back for Iran after 65 minutes and then converted a penalty deep into the extended stoppage time to make it 6-2, much to Southgate’s disappointment.

WHAT THEY SAID: “To win by that margin and play the way we did for the majority of the game, really happy,” Southgate told reporters after the game. “Our pressing was really good, movement really good. I’ve got to be happy but we shouldn’t be conceding 2 goals. We will have to be on it against United States.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: England fans will have few complaints about their team’s first match of the campaign, as five different scorers contributed to the success. Bukayo Saka scored twice, while Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish got one goal each.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

DID YOU KNOW? England’s 6-2 win against Iran is the biggest victory they have ever recorded in their opening match at a major tournament.

WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND? The Three Lions’ next match in the tournament is against United States on Friday.