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If the aim, ultimately, is for Gareth Southgate and his players to see whether their Euro 2020 adventure can finish in this stadium – 12 July, 2020, to be precise – this will certainly count as a decent way to begin that process. Five goals, a clean sheet and, perhaps most encouragingly of all, hard evidence that Raheem Sterling is transferring his Manchester City form on to the international stage.

OK, this is still too early to start imagining the possibilities that might open up in a tournament in which the semi-finals and final are all played at the stadium England call home. These are the kind of performances, however, that allow England’s followers to think positively, in particular when the team is suddenly filled with so much attacking variety.

• Pogba and Griezmann show class in 4-1 win defeat of Moldova
• Ronaldo unable to inspire Portugal to win against Ukraine

France turned on the style in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier, winning 4-1 in Moldova. Goals from Antoine Griezmann, Raphaël Varane, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappé made it a comfortable victory for the world champions, with Vladimir Ambros scoring for the home side.

Paul Pogba’s exquisite ball over the top was volleyed home from close range by Griezmann, who turned provider three minutes later as his corner was headed home at the near post by Varane.

• Southgate: ‘Sterling is a role model for younger players’
• Standing ovation for his part in 5-0 win over Czech Republic

Gareth Southgate praised Raheem Sterling’s “devastating” performance and the manner in which he has turned around his international career as England started their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic.

Sterling contributed a first hat-trick and won a penalty converted by Harry Kane before retiring to a standing ovation having scored five goals in his last three England appearances. Southgate said the Manchester City forward, as one of the more experienced and influential members of the squad, has graduated to become a member of the national team’s in-house leadership group.

Birmingham are facing a battle to avoid relegation after being docked nine points for a breach of the Football League’s profitability and sustainability rules.

The cost of hiring and firing the managers Gianfranco Zola and Harry Redknapp allied to a series of expensive signings has caught up with the club and is now imprinted on a hastily amended Championship table.

McCarthy begins his second spell as Republic of Ireland manager in Gibraltar. A nation wants and needs him to do well

No matter how much Mick McCarthy says it is not about completing unfinished business, his second coming as Republic of Ireland manager demands a happier ending than his first.

Nearly 17 years ago, after “fighting a war I never wanted” with Roy Keane and suffering a bad start to the qualifiers for Euro 2004, McCarthy recognised he was still being scalded by the fires of rage ignited by the conflict with Keane so terminated his six-year reign. On Saturday, in Gibraltar, he starts anew, with time and increased exposure to Keane having softened many people’s views of McCarthy. A nation wants and needs him to do well.

Raheem Sterling stole the show but Harry Kane and Ben Chilwell also impressed in England’s first qualifier for Euro 2020

Neymar has been charged for “insulting and/or molesting” the referee following his rant after Paris Saint-Germain were knocked out of the Champions League by Manchester United.

Neymar, who was sidelined by injury, was investigated by Uefa for lashing out and labelling the video assistant referee system a “disgrace” after United won a controversial penalty in the closing stages to win on away goals.

• Assistant coach Peter Grant issues rallying cry after debacle
• After Kazakhstan, Scots now play worst team in the world

It was, as assistant coach Peter Grant freely admitted, not good enough. The fallout from Scotland’s calamitous 3-0 defeat by Kazakhstan – a side ranked 117th in the world who failed to win a match while trying to qualify for the 2018 World Cup – raged long into the night back home.

One newspaper superimposed an image of the manager, Alex McLeish, on the toilet with headline “Down the Kazi!” on its back page.

Gareth Southgate’s attack of Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho complemented each other to great effect in England’s exciting victory over the Czech Republic

Three perfect touches at the end of 25. The opening goal of a room temperature qualifier at a fidgety Wembley might not be the kind of moment that international mini-eras are built around.

But England’s opener here, at the end of a move involving 10 outfield players, was special for various reasons. Not least as confirmation that Gareth Southgate is able to draw new elements and new rhythms from his team. So many England managers have stuck to a script, grown fat on the job. Sven-Göran Eriksson sat scratching his chin watching his England team play the same flat 4-4-2 formation through three successive tournaments.

The five-times Bundesliga champions find themselves fighting relegation and it is up to former midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger to rescue them, in the short and long term

It was proving to be a miserable Monday in Stuttgart. Overcast but cool conditions had given way to snow and then, around 10am, howling winds. Yet the mood among the locals was bright and upbeat, which was hardly surprising given events of the previous afternoon.

VfB Stuttgart 5 Hannover 1. A first victory in nine games for Markus Weinzierl’s side as well as their biggest of the season by some distance. Crucially, it was against fellow relegation candidates, fuelling hopes that Die Roten may stay up after all. Cue smiles and laughter among the 60 or so people who had braved the wintery weather in order to watch the players go through an open-to-public warm-down session at the club’s training base, located on the east bank of the river Neckar and in the shadow of the 60,000-seater Mercedes-Benz Arena, named after the car manufacturer which, like Porsche, is a source of great pride as well as employment in the city.