Croatia 0–7 England: Kane and Saka score twice in Rijeka
Kane and Saka scored twice as England beat Croatia 7–0. How Bellingham helped create the goals, with Alex Scott making his first England start.
Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scored twice each as England beat Croatia 7–0 in Rijeka on Saturday 3 October. Thomas Tuchel’s side led by four at half-time, and substitute Morgan Rogers rounded off the scoring three minutes from the end.
It was England’s biggest Nations League win and Croatia’s heaviest defeat, according to the FA’s post-match records. For England, the striking feature was how much damage their attacking players did together: Kane, Saka, Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon all scored before the interval.
Four goals before half-time
Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute after Bellingham found him behind the defence. By the 21st minute, Bellingham had a goal of his own, turning in Gordon’s delivery. Gordon then headed home a Jarell Quansah cross to make it 3–0.
Croatia had a chance to interrupt that run. Mateo Kovačić got past Jordan Pickford but missed the target from close range, and Saka scored at the other end before half-time. At 4–0, England had already built a lead Croatia could not recover.
The UEFA match report describes England maintaining their pressure after the restart. Kane added the fifth, Saka struck again and Rogers rounded Dominik Livaković before scoring the seventh. The goals kept coming even after Tuchel went to his bench.
Bellingham connects the attack
Bellingham finished with a goal and three assists. That contribution explains more about England’s attacking performance than the score alone: he supplied Kane’s opener, arrived to finish Gordon’s cross and helped create goals for Saka and Rogers.
The combinations varied, too. Gordon scored from a cross, while Kane’s second came at the end of a passing move. England also punished a loose Croatia pass for Saka’s second. The hosts had to defend deliveries into the box as well as passes through and behind them.
Scott’s first start, Anderson alongside him
Tuchel’s starting XI gave Alex Scott his first England start alongside Elliot Anderson, with Bellingham ahead of them.
Anderson set up Kane’s second, giving England another route to goal beyond the combinations among the front four.
Croatia 0–7 England: goalscorers
Kane scored in the eighth and 53rd minutes; Bellingham in the 21st; Gordon in the 39th; Saka in the 45th and 68th; and Rogers in the 87th. The match took place at Stadion HNK Rijeka in Nations League Group A3.
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