England thrashed Croatia 7-0 away in Rijeka on Saturday in a UEFA Nations League League A match, with Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each scoring twice.
Kane’s brace pushed his national team scoring record to 89 international goals. Left winger Anthony Gordon set up Jude Bellingham’s goal and scored one of his own, while substitute Morgan Rogers added the seventh to complete the rout.
England coach Thomas Tuchel praised his side’s performance. “It was very impressive, and we created so many chances. In the first 40 minutes we were so fluid right from the start. It just never stopped,” Tuchel said. “We just kept the pace up and played through the gaps. We were very, very clinical.”
Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute, controlling a pass from Bellingham with the outside of his right foot before curling the ball into the top left corner.
Bellingham doubled the lead midway through the first half, poking in a Gordon cross. Gordon then headed in a right-wing cross from Jarell Quansah, and Saka side-footed home England’s fourth just before halftime.
After the break, Croatia’s defense was carved open again on a quick break. Elliot Anderson curled in a cross from the right, and Kane slid in at the back post to make it five.
“We’re at our best when we’re free, when we’re physically just overpowering,” Kane said. “They couldn’t live with our pace, our movement, our runs.”
Further defensive lapses let Kane feed Saka for his second goal in the 68th minute, before Rogers controlled a Bellingham pass with his heel and slotted in from an angle to make it 7-0.
The scoreline surpassed England’s previous record margin of victory over Croatia, a 5-1 win in 2009 World Cup qualifying at Wembley.
The win moved Tuchel’s England to six points from three games in the competition.
For Croatia and coach Slaven Bilic, it was another difficult outing following a 4-1 loss to Spain the previous Tuesday. The team has now conceded 12 goals across its last three matches. Veteran midfielder Luka Modric, 41, started the game but appeared frustrated by his team’s performance.
Elsewhere in League A play, World Cup champion Spain hosted Czechia in Oviedo as it looked to extend its unbeaten run to 40 games, while Switzerland played Slovenia. In League B action, Scotland traveled to face North Macedonia.
