Kane double helps England overpower Croatia

England won their opening FIFA World Cup fixture for the third tournament running thanks to a brilliant brace from Harry Kane and second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford.

A chaotic first half brought four goals, with England twice leading through two Kane strikes and Croatia responding through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa.

The Three Lions had scored an early set-piece in the teams’ 2018 World Cup semi-final encounter but lost; this time they prevailed thanks to a strong second-half display rewarded by goals at either end of it by Bellingham and Rashford.

The match began with a twice-taken penalty after winger Noni Madueke, one of England’s World Cup newcomers, had drawn a foul from Luka Modric. Kane had missed a spot-kick on his previous World Cup appearance, the 2022 quarter-final against France and Dominik Livakovic saved his initial kick to his left.

However, referee Clement Turpin called for a retake with replays showing Croatia’s goalkeeper had stepped off his line and defender Josko Gvardiol’s encroachment. Kane shot into the same corner and this time found the net. With his second goal, a header from Declan Rice’s corner, Kane equalled Gary Lineker’s England record of 10 World Cup goals.

Each Kane goal was followed by a terrific Croatia equaliser. For 1-1, Petar Sucic laid the ball back to Baturina who curled it into the right-hand corner via the palm of Jordan Pickford. The second equaliser, on the stroke of half-time, came when Croatia’s Dallas-based striker Musa volleyed in a well-worked goal after Ivan Perisic had cleverly nodded on Mario Pasalic’s ball over the back line.

Bellingham, given the No 10 role ahead of Morgan Rogers, restored the advantage by driving in from the right wing and finishing low across Livakovic. It was the cue for a dominant spell by England who summoned the intensity coach Thomas Tuchel had asked for, forcing a string of saves by Livakovic. He was eventually beaten again, though, with Rashford's composed finish after excellent work by fellow substitute Bukayo Saka.

Kane has now scored the most penalties (excluding shoot-outs) in World Cup history, with five and was named Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match.

The England captain reflected on his brace versus Croatia and his motivation to begin with a bang.

"Credit to the manager, the manager gave us a speech at half-time as if to say, ‘Look, if we lose, we lose in our way’ and you saw that with how we came out in the second half. We went full gas and they couldn’t deal with it and that’s the level we have to set for every game so credit to everyone – the first game of the tournament, a great result against a top side … Just the intensity we went at, that’s our biggest strength so we’re going to have to use that more in this tournament.”

"Good reaction, the first half was a bit complicated for us. It was a bit nervy. The decisions we took, we chose to go safe and go backwards. We struggled to find any rhythm and didn't have the confidence to go through the gaps. I saw a statistic of 33% of ground duels won in the first half and 73% in the second, so even off the ball was not good enough, not committed enough. I loved the reaction of the players in the second half. It was emotional; there were a lot of emotions involved. It took us a while to get going," said Thomas Tuchel, England coach

“We played a very bad second half. In the first half, we conceded two goals from two set-pieces, the first after a penalty. We didn’t do some things well. We conceded the third goal after a long ball and saw how difficult it was to come back into the game. We reacted poorly to the deep ball and rotated poorly,” Zlatko Dalic, Croatia coach stated.

"I think the second half, especially, we really showed what we are about and the team we want to be was shown in the second half,” reflected Bellingham.

“The first half was still a bit nervy, a bit cagey, I think we set up well defensively, pressed well and our intensity without the ball was good but with the ball we probably rushed a little bit.

“In the second half, we created a nicer rhythm and that's where you saw the rest of us.

“I think the second half was more than flashes. I think the constant level of intensity without the ball was top level, the subs who came on were unbelievable Rashy, Morgs, Bukayo, pressing from the front even with a minute left in added time.

“That is the mentality we are trying to create within the group. We hit the mark."

Head coach Tuchel addressed his players at the break and the 22-year-old revealed how it motivated the team.

"The speech wasn't one of those where it was big drama – he wasn't standing up and shouting,” said Bellingham. “It was just what the team needed.

“We have a mature group with good leaders and I think everyone knew the level we had to get to and why we weren't hitting it. We were very clear in the second half and the early goal in the second half gave us a very good platform.”

It took just two minutes for England to re-take the lead in the second period through Bellingham, netting England’s third goal of the game to restore the Three Lions’ lead.

"I don't remember all 23 passes (in the build-up to his goal),” he said, talking through the move. “I remember Elliott's, which was brilliant and Noni was trying to take it off my toe but no chance! I took it into the box and put it away.

“The work that goes into creating those types of plays takes us weeks to get right and credit to the manager and his staff, they have put us in the position to be in our best places to make the difference.”

Bellingham expressed his pride at representing England at yet another tournament and he could reach 50 caps for his country in the Three Lions’ next Group L match-up against Ghana on Tuesday 23 June.

"It's my responsibility to my team and my country to give everything I have when I cross the line and when I wear that badge on the front, that No 10 on the back, I want to give everything I have, with and without the ball to the team,” he added.

“It's been a long season for me, I've probably missed more camps than I would have liked, more training that I would have liked but I like to think I've always got something in me where I know when it comes to this time, I'll step up for my team.”