Euro 2024 qualifier wrap: Sublime Saka plunders England hat-trick

Bukayo Saka scored a superb first career hat-trick as rampant England roared to a 7-0 victory against North Macedonia in their Euro 2024 qualifier.

Gareth Southgate's side are all but assured of making it to Germany having reached the halfway point of qualification with four wins from their four Group C games.

Harry Kane struck twice in an Old Trafford annihilation that also saw Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips get in on the act, but Saka was the star of the show with his tremendous treble.

The 21-year-old slammed home from a tight angle after Kane's opener - the sixth straight game he has scored in - and before Rashford's goal at his home ground.

The young forward left the 70,708 in attendance stunned immediately after the break when scoring a sensational left-footed strike from a similarly impressive pass by Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Saka soon completed the first hat-trick of his senior career with a cool finish that was complemented by substitute Phillips' tap-in and a Kane spot-kick. 1

Elsewhere in Group C, Ukraine could count themselves lucky to strengthen their hold on second place behind free-scoring England.

The Ukrainians laboured against bottom side Malta in Trnava, and it took a fortuitous 72nd-minute penalty from Viktor Tsygankov to eke out a 1-0 win.

In Group D, Armenia also had a stroke of fortune as it took an injury-time penalty from Tigran Barseghyan to claim a 2-1 win over Latvia and build on the weekend's stunning win over Wales in Cardiff.

There was more misery for the Welsh, who had Joe Morrell sent off and fell to a 2-0 defeat to top-placed Turkey, for whom Umut Nayir and Arda Guler scored second-half goals.

Daniel Hakans scored a hat-trick as Group H leaders Finland made it four wins out of five with a