Pointless friendly ends in shocking defeat | OneFootball

Senegal claimed a 3-1 victory over England on Tuesday night at the City Ground, handing Thomas Tuchel his first defeat in charge and making history as the first African side to beat the Three Lions.

The home crowd voiced their frustration at full-time, with boos echoing around the ground - a reaction no doubt fuelled by England’s uninspiring 1-0 win over Andorra just days earlier.

Despite the defeat, Thomas Tuchel's side actually made a bright start. A much-rotated side took the lead in the seventh minute when Harry Kane tucked the ball in from close range after Anthony Gordon’s shot was spilled.

Senegal slowly found their rhythm and began to trouble the England defence. Dean Henderson was called upon more than once, making key stops to keep out efforts from Nicolas Jackson, Ismaila Sarr and Idrissa Gana Gueye.

The visitors eventually made the pressure count just before the break. A clever pass from Jackson set up Sarr, who fired low into the corner to level the scores at 1-1.

Just past the hour mark, Kalidou Koulibaly picked out Habib Diarra with a perfectly weighted pass, and the midfielder squeezed a finish past Henderson from a tight angle to put Senegal ahead.

England tried to respond, and Jude Bellingham thought he had equalised with a header, but it was ruled out by VAR for a handball in the build-up.

Chances came and went for the hosts, with Noni Madueke and Bellingham both going close. Ivan Toney had a late opportunity with a header, but couldn’t hit the target.

Senegal put the game to bed in stoppage time with a swift counter-attack. Lamine Camara broke forward and found Cheikh Sabaly unmarked in the box, who calmly slotted past Henderson to seal the result.

It’s a worrying sign for England, and unless performances pick up, doubts will grow over their World Cup prospects next summer.