Nations League: Kane, Saka score twice as England rout Croatia 7-0
Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both struck twice as England ran riot in a 7-0 rout of abject Croatia in the Nations League on Saturday.
Thomas Tuchel’s side ripped Croatia to shreds in Rijeka to make it two wins from their first three matches in their Nations League group.
England captain Kane’s double extended his record goal tally for his country to 89.
But the Bayern Munich striker was far from the only stand-out performer for England.
Arsenal winger Saka also bagged a brace as England recorded the biggest win of the Tuchel era.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, restored to the starting line-up after Tuesday’s 2-0 win against Czech Republic, was on target to cap a vibrant display featuring three assists.
The effervescent Anthony Gordon netted to make it four goals in his last four England matches before Morgan Rogers completed the annihilation.
Chasing a top-two finish to secure a spot in the Nations League quarter-finals in March, England conclude the international break against Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday.
That should be a slightly more raucous occasion than this tie, which was played ‘behind closed doors’ because of crowd trouble involving Croatia fans against France in 2025.
Around 6,000 local school children and 100 England supporters were allowed into the Stadion HNK Rijeka, creating a subdued environment in a country known for its hostile atmospheres.
England’s players had taken a dip in the nearby Adriatic Sea earlier in the week, prompting Tuchel to warn the relaxed mood in the camp must not put his team into “holiday mode”.
But with the Adriatic shimmering in the sun just yards from the stadium, it was child’s play for England as they demolished ageing Croatia to disappoint the youthful crowd.
Tuchel’s men took just eight minutes to go ahead with an incisive raid that exposed the talent gap between the side.
Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, making his first start for England, was the catalyst with a composed pass to Bellingham.
Bellingham slipped an equally measured ball in behind the flat-footed Croatia defence and Kane took a deft touch before stroking a clinical finish into the roof of the net from 10 yards.
– No mercy –
England had too much pace and poise for Croatia and it was no surprise when Bellingham increased their advantage at the end of flowing 27-pass move in the 21st minute.
Saka’s cross was too high for his team-mates, but Gordon adroitly controlled the ball in mid-air and whipped it back into the six-yard box, where Bellingham stretched to poke into the far corner.
Gordon put the result beyond doubt in the 39th minute, diving to meet Jarell Quansah’s pin-point cross with an agile header that flashed past Dominik Livakovic from six yards.
Quansah’s assist was a timely riposte to the critics who said Tuchel was wrong to select him instead of Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Real Madrid right-back made his first England start in nearly two years against Czech Republic.
England beat Croatia 4-2 in June in their opening World Cup group game, but this was a far more one-sided encounter.
Bellingham was in irrepressible mood, driving into the Croatia area and baffling Luka Modric with a smooth drag-back before crossing low towards Saka, who slotted home from close-range on the stroke of half-time.
England showed no mercy after the interval and Kane netted again in the 53rd minute, sliding in to convert Anderson’s cross with ease.
Saka got the sixth from Kane’s pass after another woeful error from hapless Croatia in the 68th minute.
Rogers came off the bench to put the seal on England’s swaggering display, rounding Livakovic to net from Bellingham’s 87th minute pass.
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