England player ratings: Kane, Bellingham, Madueke star in wild 4-2 win over ageing Croatia | OneFootball

Hands up who thought Thomas Tuchel’s tournament England would be that much fun? Put your hands down, you massive liars.

A thrilling second-half performance will prompt giddiness – and, frankly, why not? – but we will insist on being boring and noting that the defensive lapses of the first half could be costly against the best teams the tournament has to offer.

But the facts are these: England have won their opening game for a third World Cup in a row, and can lay claim to having won the game of the tournament so far and – in beating a team that has reached the final and semi-final in the last two World Cups – have beaten higher-calibre opposition than anyone else at the tournament thus far.

Obviously, the man of the match was Anthony Barry for his half-time team-talk to the nation. But how about the players?

Jordan Pickford

Slow-motion is not kind to his effort for Croatia’s first goal because he gets a good piece of it, but it was travelling at fierce speed through a crowd of bodies. Nothing he could do about the second, but his distribution and touch wasn’t assured either on a night when England’s defence desperately needed some security.

If we were to lean towards hyper-critical fussiness, there were a couple of flaps and punches where catches seemed possible and just brought to mind Pickford’s less convincing early days.

Reece James

A horrible first half for the Chelsea full-back, who looked off the pace going forward when that right flank offered so much potential for England, and was part of the sloppy concession for Croatia’s first equaliser and completely caught out by the movement of Perisic and Musa for the second. Not alone in that.

Much better – in keeping with almost everyone else – in the second half and showed his vital versatility by finishing the game in central midfield. Played there plenty of times for Chelsea, of course, and was a more natural replacement for Declan Rice than Jude Bellingham was.

Nico O’Reilly

Made a nervous start and never truly convinced in possession when England tried to draw Croatia on and play out from the back. It’s usually a clear strength of his, so we’re tentatively putting this one down to nerves and trusting he’ll improve for the run. The second half was, obviously, less stressful.

One of several players who missed a glorious chance to put the game to bed at 3-2 when heading wide from a corner.

Ezri Konsa

England’s best defender. Not a ringing endorsement, that, on a night full of chaotic and marvellous fun but also some consternation if one were minded to be boring and, annoyingly, correct about matters.

John Stones

Got in a minor tangle with Nico O’Reilly that cost a needless early corner and his desperate lunge was one of the catalogue of England errors for Croatia’s first equaliser. Made way for Marc Guehi late on and may well do so in the starting XI before the tournament is through.

Declan Rice

Trademark delivery for Harry Kane’s all-too-easy second but struggled to impose his usual control in midfield during that chaotic first half and was pulled to left-back and out again for the first equalising goal.

Brilliant in the second half, though, and one of several players to come close to adding to England’s lead during that breathless start to the second half.

Sight of him limping when withdrawn after the hydration break a big concern if there’s anything serious going on there for a man who comes into this tournament on the back of an exhausting club season.

Elliot Anderson

Had by far his least convincing 45 minutes in an England shirt in the first half here. Might have got slightly lucky with the assist for the third goal, with the pass at the end of a fine England move surely intended for Madueke, but we’ll allow it for the intent and progressive instinct alone.

Especially as he went on to deliver a flawless second-half display which required him to step up to senior status after Rice went off.

Noni Madueke

His speed of foot beat Luka Modric’s speed of thought to win the penalty from which Harry Kane eventually gave England the lead and his direct running occupied Josko Gvardiol to put serious strain on Croatia’s back three with Ivan Perisic no longer the most mobile of wing-backs.

Whipped in a fine low cross that Jude Bellingham almost latched on to and advanced his claims significantly. Right now, the idea of Madueke as the starter and Saka as the finisher seems, counter-intuitively, absolutely fine.

Anthony Gordon

Almost all England’s best work came down the right where Croatia were more conspicuously vulnerable, which left Gordon something of a spectator. But some of England’s best work down the right could still sometimes be traced back to Gordon’s work on the left, most notably when he won possession at the start of a move that almost ended with Jude Bellingham converting a Noni Madueke cross.

But there is a nagging sense that this was little more than a cardio workout for Gordon, and what Marcus Rashford did off the bench raises a question for future starting XIs. But it’s clear that both men have significant roles to play as this tournament unfolds.

Jude Bellingham

Caught the eye with a run after being found by, obviously, Kane but maybe could have got a shot away rather than trying to take on the last couple of Croatia defenders. Then kickstarted that breathless 15-minute spell at the start of the second half by beating all-comers before scoring in spectacular fashion.

No great shock there; the only surprise was just how England failed to add to that goal in the period of utter dominance that followed. An absolute monster of a second-half display until he made way as part of the shoring-up reshuffle required by Rice’s departure.

Harry Kane

Unbelievably fortunate to get a second chance from the spot after succumbing to the woke mind virus and trying a stutter run-up. The fact it was that stutter run-up that created the Josko Gvardiol encroachment and lured Dominik Livakovic off his line to get him a second bite at the cherry was funny. But, in all seriousness, there is absolutely no need for one of the world’s very best 12-yard merchants to be overcomplicating what is for him a relatively simple task.

Is more welcome to continue complicating the idea of what a No. 9 is, because he is an absurd footballer. Set Madueke away with a trademark quarterback pass shortly after the goal and remains almost as dangerous when collecting the ball in his own half as in the opposition box.

Alas, we don’t think anyone will leave him unmarked from a Declan Rice corner again over the weeks ahead, but he certainly took full advantage of the one opportunity provided to move level with Gary Lineker at the top of England’s World Cup scoring chart.

Joins the lengthening list of big-name players to have made their mark towards the end of this opening round of games, but however impressive the efforts of your Mbappes, your Haalands or the Messis of this world, did any of them needlessly throw their testicles in the way of a goalbound shot on 95 minutes? They did not, and that’s why Kane is the true GOAT. Even if he doesn’t have a Lego set yet.

SUBSTITUTES

Marcus Rashford (for Gordon, 72)

Took his goal brilliantly to allow England to enjoy the closing moments and add a much deserved layer of gloss to the scoreline after a sensational second half from Tuchel’s men.

Gary Lineker, Harry Kane and Geoff Hurst are now the only men with more World Cup goals than Marcus.

Morgan Rogers (for Rice, 72)

Was, briefly, deployed alongside Bellingham as England reshuffled. Looked better when entrusted with the position more fully.

Bukayo Saka (for Madueke, 72)

Stunning work to create the nerve-settling, game-sealing goal for Marcus Rashford. An England team that have different ways of playing? That can deploy different spells to start and finish a game? We like this.

Djed Spence (for Bellingham, 79)

Who is this masked marauding right-back-cum-winger, and what have you done with Djed Spence? Came on to shore things up for England at right-back and allow Reece James to move into Declan Rice’s midfield position as Thomas Tuchel sought to see the game out. Did that, but so much more.

Used his pace to unexpected effect to get involved in England’s attacking play, forcing one of many decent saves out of Domink Livakovic and including a bit-part role in the Saka-Rashford masterclass that made the game safe. An eye-catching cameo from a Tuchel pick that raised eyebrows at squad-naming time.

Marc Guehi (for Stones, 87)