Bellingham’s brace sends 10-man England into World Cup quarter-fi

England survived a dramatic second-half scare to defeat hosts Mexico 3-2 in one of the most thrilling matches of the FIFA World Cup so far, booking a place in the quarter-finals against Norway.
Kick-off at the Azteca Stadium was delayed by an hour due to heavy rain and lightning, but the wait proved worthwhile as the fans witnessed a pulsating contest filled with end-to-end action, Jude Bellingham's quickfire brace, a red card, and two penalties.
Backed by a passionate home crowd, Mexico started brightly and looked to put England under pressure. However, it was Thomas Tuchel's side that struck first in the 36th minute.
A swift counterattack initiated by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saw Declan Rice release Bukayo Saka down the right flank. Saka delivered a pinpoint cross for Bellingham, who powered home a diving header to give England the lead.
Before the hosts could recover, England doubled their advantage just two minutes later. Elliot Anderson won possession in midfield and found Harry Kane, whose perfectly weighted pass allowed Bellingham to fire a powerful right-footed finish into the net for his second goal of the night.
Mexico refused to surrender and pulled one back in the 42nd minute when Julian Quinones produced a clinical finish to make it 2-1. The hosts created more chances before the break but were unable to find an equaliser.
The match took another dramatic turn in the 60th minute when England defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Jesus Gallardo.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, England soon extended their lead after Anthony Gordon was brought down in the penalty area by goalkeeper Raul Rangel. Kane calmly converted the spot-kick to score his sixth goal of the tournament and put England 3-1 ahead.
Mexico piled on the pressure during the final half-hour, and the hosts were awarded a penalty in the 83rd minute after VAR ruled that Kane had fouled Bryan Gutierrez inside the box. Raul Jimenez converted from the spot to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
The closing stages saw relentless Mexican attacks, but England defended heroically with 10 men to preserve their narrow lead and seal a memorable victory.
England will now face Norway in the quarter-finals after the Scandinavian side stunned five-time world champions Brazil in the previous round.

MMR