England Under-21s hosted Portugal Under-21s in an entertaining international friendly at Turf Moor this evening.
England made a dream start, with Danny Ings scoring in front of his home crowd inside the opening ten minutes and Carl Jenkinson doubled the home side's lead on the stroke of half time.
Bernardo Silva reduced the deficit a minute after the restart, but Ings made sure of the win after 57 minutes to wrap up an 11th consecutive win for Gareth Southgate's side.
Read how it all unfolded in our blow-by-blow account below.
Good evening folks, and thanks for joining me tonight. Tonight's game looks like a cracker, with some of Europe's finest young talent on show in Burnley.
Without further ado, let's bring you the team mews...
England U21s starting XI: Butland; Jenkinson, Gibson, Keane, Garbutt; Hughes, Carroll, Forster-Caskey, Ince, Redmond; Ings
England U21s subs: Robinson, Bond, Lascelles, Chalobah, Pritchard, Bamford, Kane, Woodrow, Wilson, Bettinelli
Portugal U21s strarting XI: R Silva, Figueiredo, Alves, Neves, B Silva, R Perfeira, Esgaio, B Fernandes, Ruben, Bangna, Verrnacio
Portugal U21s strarting XI: D Fernandes, Gaspar, Oliveira, Cancelo, Vezo, Sturgeon, Teixeira
The big news for England, then, is a start for Burnley duo Danny Ings and Michael Keane, who'll take centre stage on their home ground this evening. Fellow club teammate Nathaniel Chalobah will have to content with a spot among the substitutes.
Jack Butland captains the side between the sticks, with a solid looking back four in front of him, and there is plenty of creativity in a five-man midfield, particularly in the form of Nathan Redmond and Tom Ince.
However, a glaring omission is that of Saido Berahino. The West Brom frontman netted 10 goals in qualifying and has rightly been called up to the senior side as he's continued his scintillating form for club this season. Ings has been preferred to Harry Kane up top, which is perhaps a little surprising. The Spurs striker has scored seven goals in all competitions already this season, while Ings has netted just once.
Before we kick off tonight, a quick reminder of a busy day in the world of sport, with Jessica Ennis threatening to distance herself from Sheffield United if they re-sign Ched Evans, the FA condemning a FIFA report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids and Wigan sacking Uwe Rosler. And let's not forget Andy Murray's crunch encounter with Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals, which is due to start in around 20 minutes.
The national anthems are being sung right now at Turf Moor, not long until the game gets underway...
That means that there's just about time for a quick prediction. I think England will carry on their impressive form from qualifying and beat Portugal 3-1.
Ruben Neves, the holding midfielder for Portugal this evening, could be crucial. He's the youngest ever Portuguese player to have ever played in the Champions League and will have to be alert to thwart a mobile looking England attack.
KICK OFF: We're underway!
Portugal launch it long straight from kick off and win a throw in deep in England territory.
England are in possession now, knocking it across the back four.
Ings collects a long ball from Butland and dances his way past three challenges before laying it wide, but the cross evades everyone in the middle. A very positive start by the Burnley striker.
Will Hughes has now gone down under a challenge by Fernandez, but the free kick is wasted.
GOAL! (Danny Ings) England U21s 1-0 Portugal U21s
A superb goal from England! Redmond collects a raking pass from Keane before cutting inside onto his right foot and bending a pass all the way across the pitch and into the feet of Ince, who laid on a great cross for Ings. The Burnley striker showed his predatory instincts by getting across the front of his marker and flicking the ball into the far corner. Top drawer stuff!
A corner for England now after more great play from Redmond, who fed it down the line for the overlapping Luke Garbutt, who whipped a teasing cross all the way across the face of the six yard box.
Ings again involved, as he takes the brunt of a full-blooded challenge by Tobias Figueiredo, but he'll be OK to continue.
Ince chips a shot wide of goal after being played through by Redmond, but the flag is raised. Wonderful change of pace by Redmond to get away from two defenders though.
Luis Alves nods towards goal from a corner as Portugal register their first shot of the game, but it's well blocked.
Bruma forces Will Keane into conceding a throw in inside his own half, but the visitors waste possession and England have the ball again.
The Portuguese pressure is paying off though. England are intent on playing the ball out from the back at every opportunity, but Keane blasts the ball into touch before Butland just escapes after taking a heavy first touch.
SHOT! Ings hits a ball that drops over his shoulder from a through ball, but he blasts it high into the stand behind goal. Great movement once more from Ings.
CLOSE! Portugal have their first real chance of the evening, but Bernardo Silva slips after being put through on goal under good pressure from Garbutt. Bruno Fernandes attempts to latch onto the midfielder's scuffed effort, but he's in an offside position and England survive.
SHOT! Fernandes gets a clear shot at goal this time, but drags it wide from 20 yards after a postive forward run by Bruma. Portugal are certainly growing into the game.
There are some great technicians on the pitch, but the ball's just been in the air for 20 seconds or so... Back on the ground now with England in possession.
Gareth Southgate is obviously keen for his side to play good football no matter the situation, but they've surrendered possession with alarming frequency in the early stages, especially in the centre of the park.
Garbutt rampages forward from full-back again and chips a good looking cross to the far post, but Portugal manage to clear.
A corner for Portugal, as Ben Gibson sees the ball out of play, but England clear the initial danger.
Ings has been isolated in the last 10 minutes or so, but Will Hughes seems to be pushing on from his central midfield position now to provide support.
Redmond cuts inside onto his right foot again, but his attempted pass to Ince is cut out this time and Portugal charge forward on the counter, but Keane makes a good challenge of Fernandes.
Redmond again comes onto his right foot, but bends a weak effort straight into the hands of Rui Silva. The better option would have been to feed Garbutt, who had sprinted 60 yards to make an overlapping run!
Redmond's chance aside, England are really struggling to get their foot on the ball and have rarely threatened since taking an early lead.
Having said that, Portugal's final ball has let them down and England are defending well. The visitors are hardly cutting the Three Lions open at every opportunity.
Good England pressure forces Rafael Suarez into a mistake and the home side win a throw-in.
Hughes has the ball in the back of the net, but the flag was raised long before he struck the ball. The Derby midfielder tried desperately to hold his run as he latched onto Ince's through ball, but his momentum took him beyond the line of the last defender.
A great, flowing move ends with Hughes straying offside once more, but that quick, positive play will certainly please Southgate.
Much, much better from England. Hughes is almost playing as a second striker now and his neat one-two with Redmond almost gets the winger in, but it rebounds off the Norwich winger and out for a goal kick.
GOAL! (Carl Jenkinson) England U21s 2-0 Portugal U21s
England's period of pressure pays off! It comes at the end of another good move. Redmond, on the left touchline, threaded a disguised pass into the feet of Hughes, who had once again made a darting run in behind the Portugal defence. The midfielder seemed to take an eternity to then pull the ball back to Jenkinson, who arrived late at the far post and slotted a precise finish inside the foot of the near post.
HALF TIME: England U21s 2-0 Portugal U21s: The goal is the final action of a very pleasing first half for England's youngsters.
Southgate will undoubtedly be pleased with his side's showing in the first 45, but there's plenty of room for improvement. They dominated the opening 10 minutes, before fading significantly, but they grew stronger again as half time approached and lead by two goals to nil. Portugal, meanwhile, have played pretty football without any cutting edge and have defended poorly for both goals.
It's not such good news for Andy Murray though. The Scot is on the brink of losing the first set of his ATP World Tour Finals encounter with Roger Federer, which would knock him out of the tournament.
Back to the football then, and I'm sure there will be changes aplenty in the second half. Unlike in the senior setup, managers can make as many changes as they like. Sven-Goran Eriksson's ears are sure to be perking up at the mere mention of it.
The teams are coming out of the tunnel at the far end of Turf Moor, but there don't seem to have been any changes for England... yet.
KICK OFF: England restart the game. Another similar 45 minutes wouldn't go amiss!
SUBSTITUTIONS: Portugal did make two changes at the break, with Horta and Joao Cancelo both coming on.
GOAL! England U21s 2-1 Portugal U21s (Bernardo Silva)
Well, that certainly makes things interesting! The visitors pounce on a poor clearance and the lively Bruma plays a reverse ball into the feet of Silva, who had made a run beyond his forward. The midfielder then settled himself before driving it underneath the body of Butland. Game on!
The goal has given the visitors hope and they see a hopeful penalty appeal waved away.
Neves bends a weak effort over the bar. It was an incredibly ambitious shot, with no run up from 30 yards.
CLOSE! The warning signs are there for England! Fernandes latches onto a wonderful lofted pass, and although his first touch lets him down he swivels and drives a fierce shot into the side netting. Butland would have had it covered, but good movement from the Udinese midfielder.
CLOSE! Tom Carroll fires a 25-yard shot over the bar after a good counter-attack had broken down when Ince's pass failed to find the overlapping Jenkinson.
SUBSTITUTION: Chalobah replaces Hughes, who's forward runs were a strong point of England's performance so far.
GOAL! (Danny Ings) England U21s 3-1 Portugal U21s
Ings doubles his tally for the night, but again it's Redmond who's at the centre of things. Chalobah nicked the ball in midfield and fed it left to Redmond, who teased his marker in a one-on-one situation and squared it to Ings, who bundled it over the line via a combination of shin and stomach. They all count, and that goal has taken his England U21 tally to four goals.
SAVE! Another warning for England though, as Butland makes a brave save at the feet of Silva, who had latched on to a precise Bruma through ball. The Monaco youngster was very, very close to notching a classy goal there.
Jake Forster-Caskey wins two challenges, but loses out in a third and limps away from the challenge.
Ings is close to grabbing his third. Jenkinson finds him with a great cross from deep, but the Burnley forward is offside. Just as well for Portugal, because Ings had a clear sight of goal fro eight yards!
Silva floats a cross to the far post, but England just about clear. Portugal keep pouring forward though.
SHOT! Ince and Redmond are involved once more for England, with the former switching the ball to the latter. Redmond stands his marker up inside the box and shifts it onto his right foot, but slices a shot wide of the far post. It was nowhere near finding the back of the net, and he should have at least tested the 'keeper.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Joao Teixeira and Fabio Sturgeon come on for Portugal. It'll be an interesting clash between the Birghton duo of Teixeira and Forster-Caskey, who usually play together for the south-coast side.
SUBSTITUTION: A change for England now, with Alex Pritchard coming on to replace the impressive Redmond, who's arguably been England's best player.
Ings will be desperate to notch a hat-trick, but the word is that he's about to be brought off...
Ricardo Horta nearly collects a long ball into the left channel, but Gibson shows a good turn of pace to beat him to the ball and blast it out of play for a throw-in.
Portugal have been awarded a free kick in a promising position here. The ball is about 30 yards out, towards the right hand side of goal and the skillful Silva is standing over the ball...
... but Gibson makes a good headed clearance from the cross.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Here are the changes from Southgate. Ings gets a standing ovation as he's replaced by Patrick Bamford, while Jack Robinson replaces Garbutt at left-back.
PENALTY APPEAL! Bamford's very first touch of the game nicks the ball off the toes of Figueiredo. The centre-back clumsily continues with his clearance and wallops the Boro forward, but remarkably no penalty is given!
SUBSTITUTIONS: The final changes for Portugal see Bruno Gaspar and Antonio Carvalho enter the fray. The visitors' bets player, Silva, has now left the pitch.
Teixeira attempts an audacious backheel, but it bobbles straight out of play. "Ole"'s emanating from the crowd inside Turf Moor now as England are awarded a free kick 20 yards out, to the left of the penalty area.
Pritchard lashes it straight into the wall though and it comes to nothing.
SAVE! Carlos Mane forces a good save out of Butland, who did well to get down low to his left to hold onto the winger's curling shot.
CLOSE! Bamford makes a run in behind the Portugal defence and Robinson finds him with a mammoth throw-in. The forward's first touch is great, but he pokes his shot over the bar from eight yards out.
THREE MINUTES OF ADDED TIME ANNOUNCED
It's just a case of counting down the seconds now for England.
Portugal's final chance of an attack goes awry as Cancelo overhits a simple pass to Teixeira. That should be that.
FULL TIME: England U21s 3-1 Portugal U21s
A 11th consecutive win for Southgate's side and he will undoubtedly be pleased with what he's seen tonight. They weren't necessarily two goals better than Portugal in terms of territory and possession, but they were ruthless.
Not only have England won in convincing style, but they've done so having made five changes from the side that started their Euro 2015 playoff win last month. Yes, it was an under-strength Portugal side too, but it will certainly give the England youngsters confidence ahead of the tournament next year, where these two sides will come face-to-face once more in the group stage.
That's all from me tonight, but stick around to read our match report. Thanks for joining me, and enjoy the rest of your evening!
Written by
Kristian Johnson
Kristian Johnson
