England beat Croatia 4-2 in World Cup opener as Bellingham stars

Thomas Tuchel said his England team would handle the pressure of World Cup matches. The friendlies before the tournament were a distraction, he said. In Texas, England needed to make a statement.

The stress showed against Croatia, ranked 11th in the world. England’s defending was loose in the first half and the teams traded goals in a 2-2 draw at the break. Harry Kane scored both of England’s goals, the first from a retaken penalty. Martin Baturina and Petar Musa replied for Croatia.

England improved after the interval. Jude Bellingham drove the team forward and gave them the lead with a strong run and finish. The second half was a stronger display from England, though Croatia created one late chance that Jordan Pickford blocked.

England finished with two more goals from substitutes. Djed Spence set up the chance for Marcus Rashford to make it 4-2. Bukayo Saka provided the pass.

The match began in open fashion. Noni Madueke won a penalty after a foul by Luka Modric. Kane’s first kick was saved, but the referee ordered a retake after a VAR review because the goalkeeper had moved early. Kane scored on the second attempt.

Croatia equalised when Petar Sucic found Baturina, who curled a shot into the top corner. They levelled again after Josip Sutalo played Ivan Perisic clear and Perisic headed back for Musa to finish.

Kane restored England’s lead with a header from a corner before Bellingham scored the decisive third goal. He collected a pass from Elliot Anderson, beat Josip Sutalo and shot low into the far corner.

England created several more chances but could not add to the score until Rashford finished late. The final result was 4-2.