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England thrash Croatia 7-0 in dominant Nations League display

Oct 4, 12:51 AM2 min read

Drafted by AI from the sources below, fact-checked by the Ajako Taja Editorial Team · How we use AI

AI Summary

Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each scored twice as Thomas Tuchel's England side overwhelmed Croatia 7-0 in a one-sided Nations League encounter in Rijeka.

England secured a massive 7-0 victory over Croatia in the Nations League on Saturday, with Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both scoring twice in Rijeka.

Thomas Tuchel’s side delivered what BBC Sport described as one of England's best recent performances, dismantling Croatia at the Stadion HNK Rijeka. The scoring began in the eighth minute when captain Harry Kane finished a clinical move; Al Jazeera reported that Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, making his first start, passed to Jude Bellingham, who then slipped the ball through for Kane to score. According to Al Jazeera, the victory marks the largest win of the Tuchel era.

The visitors took a four-goal lead into half-time following strikes from Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Bukayo Saka. Al Jazeera noted that Bellingham’s performance featured three assists and a 21st-minute goal. BBC Sport reported that Jarell Quansah, who started at right-back, provided the assist for Gordon’s goal, while Bellingham assisted Saka for England's fourth.

England's dominance continued after the break as Kane added his second of the night, assisted by Elliot Anderson, to extend his national record to 89 goals. Saka then netted his second from close range before substitute Morgan Rogers completed the scoring. While England controlled the match, BBC Sport reported that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was lucky not to concede following a miss by Mateo Kovacic.

The match was played in a subdued atmosphere with only 6,000 schoolchildren and 100 England supporters present. This was due to the game being held "behind closed doors" following crowd trouble involving Croatian fans against France in 2025. ESPN noted that the result helps England put previous World Cup disappointments behind them as they take a major step toward Euro 2028.

Background

Earlier in the week, England players had taken a dip in the Adriatic Sea, prompting manager Thomas Tuchel to warn his squad that a relaxed mood must not put the team into "holiday mode."