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England and Scotland could not be separated in a goalless draw on matchday two in Group D of UEFA Euro 2020.
England were looking to consolidate on their opening day victory over Croatia and a second win would have seen them secure progress to the knockout round of the competition.
The England-Scotland rivalry is the oldest on the international scene, with both sides having traded tackles on 113 previous occasions.
However, this was their first meeting in a major tournament since a matchday two clash in Group A of Euro 1996, which was hosted by England.
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England manager Gareth Southgate made two changes to the side that saw off Croatia on matchday one. Both changes came at full-back, with Reece James and Luke Shaw coming in for Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier respectively.
A fast start to the game saw Scotland register the first shot, but Che Adams saw his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by John Stones. The rejuvenated Manchester City defender also got busy at the other end and was unlucky to see his perfectly-placed header rattle the post in the 11th minute.
Phil Foden was England's brightest spark in the first half as he effortlessly caused the Scottish defense trouble with his close control and brilliant technique. Foden and Harry Kane both went close for the hosts, but it was Scotland who had the next best chance of the game.
Kieran Tierney put in a pitch-perfect cross that Stephen O'Donnell connected with an even better strike, but Jordan Pickford was on hand to keep the scores level with a stunning save.
Both sides went into the break level, which was a fair reflection of the first half, although England were the marginally better side.
The second half was a slower affair but the game came to life on the hour mark when end-to-end action saw both sides fashion notable chances.
Jack Grealish was introduced to rapturous applause by England supporters in a bid to add more bite to the hosts' attack, and the Aston Villa man brought some much-needed urgency to the Three Lions' attack.
It was, however, Scotland who had the best chances and should have broken the deadlock through one of Che Adams or Lydon Dykes, with both squandering golden opportunities.
On the overall balance of play, a draw was probably a fair result and this marked only the fourth goalless draw between the sides and the first-ever at Wembley.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#5 England put themselves on the cusp of qualification but questions remain of their ambitions
England came into the tournament as one of the favorites to go all the way. The abundance of quality throughout the squad made many believe that the current crop of the Three Lions could go one further than their fourth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.
However, Gareth Southgate has shown a penchant for prioritizing safety rather than unleashing the full cavalry he has in attack. This system might have many detractors, but history has shown that several international tournaments in the past were won by compact teams.
Nevertheless, questions must be asked of why a side that boasts some of the most creative players in the world at the moment constantly struggles to create chances against seemingly inferior opposition.
England faced a team who are the third-lowest ranked side in the entire tournament, they but failed to make their mark. If anything, Scotland are within their right to feel that they deserved more.
The draw means the 1966 world champions have climbed up to four points and now need just a single point in their final match against the Czech Republic to progress to the next round.
However, the lack of intensity in England's two games so far raises valid questions of how solid their supposed challenge in this tournament is.
Also Read: Paul Merson's column - Euro 2020: 5 surprise contenders for the Player of the Tournament award
#4 Is it time for Gareth Southgate to trust Jadon Sancho?
As already indicated, England have an abundance of young, vibrant and talented players in attack, and it is impossible to field all of them at once.
However, Gareth Southgate has shown a distinct lack of faith in some, with Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho perhaps the most marginalized.
While the former finally got to make his tournament debut for his nation against Scotland, Jadon Sancho was left kicking his heels on the bench.
Indeed, the Borussia Dortmund man did not even make it to the final 23-man squad for the opening game against Croatia, which is a huge pointer to his manager being unconvinced by him.
Sancho came into the tournament on the back of another fine club campaign that saw him end the season with 19 goal involvements in 26 league games for Borussia Dortmund.
England's lack of penetration in attack plays to the strength of Jadon Sancho, as his directness and quick change of feet is different to what the likes of Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling have to offer.
With England having struggled to get going in attack so far, it remains to be seen whether Gareth Southgate will call upon his attackers who are currently on the fringes of the squad.
#3 Bold Scotland keep themselves in the running for qualification with a gutsy performance against England
Scotland are one of the most traditional international sides, and games against England always bring out the best in the Scottish players.
Despite their long history, the Tartan Army are nowhere near being considered among the elites on the international scene. This much is evident in the fact that they are the third-lowest ranked side in the entire tournament, ahead only of debutants Finland and North Macedonia.
Scotland have a number of proven players on the biggest stages, but the quality available to Steve Clark simply cannot be compared to the glut of world-beaters in the England camp.
Despite the difference in class, the Scots held their own against their old rivals and were the more determined side across the 90 minutes.
They should arguably have nicked a first win at Wembley in 21 years, but were let down by poor finishing in addition to some resolute English defending.
A defeat would have made qualification more difficult in light of results in other groups, but the hard-fought point gave Scotland a fighting chance heading into their final group fixture against Croatia.
#2 Group D is still anyody's game
England were heavy favorites to top Group D, although the group was much trickier than many gave credit to.
Scotland have had a renaissance on the international scene in recent years with a high concentration of proven Premier League players. Croatia might be coming to the end of a glorious cycle of talented players, but it was only three years ago that the Eastern European nation made it to the World Cup final.
Czech Republic, for their part, defeated England during the qualification series for the European Championship and are among the dark horses in the tournament.
The quality of play across all groups in the competitions has been quite high and several groups are still in the balance after two rounds of matches.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Group D, where every position in the table is still up for grabs heading into the final round of fixtures.
The Czech Republic and England hold all the aces and only need a point in the final match against one another to each secure progress to the next stage.
However, a defeat for either one of them could leave the door open for one of Croatia or Scotland to usurp them into second position in the table.
Also Read: Six greatest players who never received an international cap
#1 Harry Kane has another performance to forget for England
Harry Kane is England's talisman and the 27-year-old is fresh from winning yet another Premier League Golden Boot in addition to a maiden Playmaker award.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward played arguably the best football of his career in the recently concluded season and was expected to translate his good form into the European Championship.
But that has not been the case for the England captain. He put in a sub-par display in the opening game against Croatia that led to him being substituted in the 81st minute.
Southgate faced a lot of criticism for leaving Kane on the field that long, but the former Norwich City man still led the line for England against Scotland.
It was another night to forget for Kane and he did not have any of the precision or confidence that has defined his career at Tottenham.
It came as no surprise when he was hauled off in the 73rd minute for Marcus Rashford despite the hosts needing a goal.
Despite his current struggles at the Euros, Harry Kane remains a bonafide game-changer and England fans will be hoping that he can rediscover his best touch ahead of more testing games.
