England's captain, Harry Kane, received a yellow card for simulation and had not encountered a single shooting chance until he inevitably scored in the 75th minute during a 2-0 victory over Malta in European Championship qualifying on Friday.

The prolific Bayern Munich striker extended his scoring streak to eight consecutive games for both club and country in a routine win for England. The Group E victory had already been secured last month, as reported by The Associated Press (AP).

Kane's record-breaking 62nd goal for England occurred after a skillful series of passes that cut through Malta's defense, elevating the excitement in what had been an often lackluster game between teams ranked fourth and 171st in the world.

Although England took an early lead in the eighth minute with an own goal by Malta defender Enrique Pepe, neither team managed a shot on target from any attacker until the 64th minute.

A surprising moment in the first half, particularly for Kane, was when he received a yellow card for simulation, mistakenly thinking he had earned a penalty. Replays revealed Kane appearing to push his left foot into contact with the advancing Malta goalkeeper, Henry Bonello.

This victory is expected to ensure that England is among the group winners with the best records, placing them in the pot of top-seeded teams for the Euro 2024 draw on December 2 in Hamburg.

The runner-up in the group, joining England in Germany, will be determined in a crucial showdown game on Monday between Ukraine and Italy, who are currently level on points. Italy's 5-2 win over North Macedonia on Friday provided them with the tiebreaker advantage over Ukraine. Italy only requires a draw on Monday to advance, with Ukraine hosting the game in Leverkusen, Germany.