England v Estonia background
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Article summary
England's place at next summer's UEFA European Championship is already confirmed, but Estonia still have an outside chance of joining them as the sides meet in Group E.
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Article body
England will look to maintain the only 100% record in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying as Estonia bid to keep on battling for a place in next summer's finals.
• England's presence in the 12 December draw for the final tournament is already guaranteed; they are certain to finish top of Group E.
• Fourth-placed Estonia can still qualify, but they are five points adrift of Switzerland in second – their final Group E opponents, in Tallinn on 12 October – and two points behind Slovenia in the play-off slot.
Previous meetings
• Wayne Rooney scored the free-kick winner on his 99th international outing when England beat Estonia 1-0 earlier in Group E; Estonia's Ragnar Klavan, also appearing for the 99th time, was sent off in that game last October.
• Captain Rooney – who struck his 50th international goal in England's last match, versus the Swiss on 8 September – doubled the lead against Estonia in an October 2007 EURO qualifier (3-0).
• All three of the nations' previous meetings have ended in England victories, with Estonia yet to find the net.
Form guide
• England are the only team to have won all eight of their UEFA EURO 2016 qualifers; they were the first side – apart from hosts France – to confirm their place in next summer's finals.
• England are unbeaten in 18 home qualifiers (W15 D3) since a 3-2 loss to Croatia in November 2007.
• Estonia are without a win in their last seven competitive away matches (D1 L6) – and are without a goal in their most recent five away qualifiers, comprising four defeats and a 0-0 draw in San Marino.
Disciplinary
• James Milner and Raheem Sterling are within a booking of a ban.
• Aleksandr Dmitrijev is available after a one-game ban; Karol Mets and Sergei Zenjov will incur suspensions with their next yellow cards.
Trivia and links
• England have won all four of their UEFA age-group competition meetings with Estonia, scoring 18 goals without reply.
• The only encounters between the nations' clubs in UEFA competition came in the first round of the 2006/07 UEFA Cup, when Newcastle United beat Levadia Tallinn 1-0 in Estonia and then 2-1 at home.
