England player ratings vs DR Congo: Kane’s massive rescue act | OneFootball

England were dreadful for long stretches against DR Congo in Atlanta as Thomas Tuchel’s side fell behind after seven minutes and never looked comfortable.

DR Congo’s goalkeeper, Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, was outstanding, repeatedly denying Bellingham and Kane. England failed to register a shot or touch in the Congo area before the first hydration break. Ultimately, Harry Kane’s late brace and Anthony Gordon’s impact from the bench saved England.

Here is how the players rated in Atlanta

England player ratings vs DR Congo

Goalkeeper and Defence

Jordan Pickford — 5 Should not have been beaten at his near post by Cipenga’s low shot. There was a lack of urgency in his footwork before the goal. Made routine stops afterwards but offered little reassurance.

Djed Spence — 5 A night to forget for the Spurs man. He was drawn away from Cipenga for the opening goal and repeatedly exposed by the DR Congo winger down his flank. Tuchel withdrew him in the 71st minute.

Ezri Konsa — 5 Struggled to organise a deeply unconvincing back four. His positioning was questionable for the opening goal. Improved marginally in the second half once DR Congo dropped deeper.

Marc Guehi — 6 England’s most composed defender throughout. He mopped up well when DR Congo broke and covered intelligently for his struggling full-backs. The relative calm of his evening reflected badly on those around him.

Nico O’Reilly — 6 A quietly solid evening from the 21-year-old. Nothing spectacular, but no glaring errors on what was a demanding night at the back. One of the few England defenders who justified their selection.

Midfield and Attack

Declan Rice — 7 Returned from a calf injury to anchor England’s midfield with mixed success. His set-piece deliveries provided England’s most consistent threat in the first half. Moved to right-back after Spence’s withdrawal before eventually being replaced by Stones with cramp.

Elliot Anderson — 6 Had too much ground to cover in a disjointed midfield. He contributed little going forward but worked hard without the ball. An honest enough performance in difficult collective circumstances.

Jude Bellingham — 6 Forced three outstanding saves from Mpasi-Nzau — more than anyone else in an England shirt. His frustration was understandable and ultimately cost him a yellow card. The Congo goalkeeper simply had his number on this occasion.

Noni Madueke — 5 Threatening in spells but not consistently enough. He created England’s best first-half chance when Rashford’s shot was cleared off the line by Wan-Bissaka. Replaced after an hour as Tuchel sought more reliability down the right.

Marcus Rashford — 5 Showed brief flashes of quality before fading. He fired into the side-netting early in the second half when he ought to have done better. Withdrawn after an hour, the same time as Madueke, as Gordon’s introduction transformed the match.

Harry Kane — 9  ( ⭐ Player of the match) England’s captain and saviour, as so often. He forced Mpasi-Nzau into a fine save at the end of the first half and had legitimate penalty appeals waved away. His 75th-minute header from Gordon’s cross was perfectly placed. His second — a fierce right-footed drive into the roof of the net — was the kind of finish only he produces for England. Moves to 13 World Cup goals, fifth on the all-time list.

Substitutes

Anthony Gordon — 8 Transformed England entirely upon introduction. He delivered a precise cross for Kane’s equaliser and remained involved to assist the winner. Every question mark around his international future dissolved in Atlanta.

Bukayo Saka — 6 Replaced Madueke and caused problems down the right against a tiring Congo backline. Clearly not fully fit, but showed enough to give Tuchel encouragement ahead of Mexico.

Eberechi Eze — 6 Introduced for Spence and provided the composure England lacked. Involved in the build-up to Kane’s equaliser. An injection of technical quality at precisely the right moment.

John Stones — N/A Came on late for a cramping Rice to close out the game at right-back. Too brief an involvement to be rated meaningfully.

Read more – World Cup Day 21: Kane rescues England, Belgium stun Senegal

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