adminCroatia suffered one of the most painful nights in the country’s international football history on Saturday as England produced a stunning 7-0 victory in their UEFA Nations League clash in Rijeka.
The result was Croatia’s heaviest defeat ever, with Thomas Tuchel’s side completely dominating the contest and leaving the home team unable to find a response. Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both scored twice, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers were also on the scoresheet.
The defeat was made even more difficult by the atmosphere surrounding the match. The fixture was officially played under restrictions following previous disciplinary sanctions, although a limited number of supporters were permitted to attend. Around 6,200 local children were also present inside the stadium.
England’s travelling supporters were among those who enjoyed the occasion, with their chants adding another layer to an already difficult evening for the Croatian side.
The Croatian camp reportedly reacted angrily to the atmosphere, with the headline-making declaration, “I’m declaring myself a huge enemy of England,” reflecting the frustration surrounding the result and the events of the night.
However, the problems for Croatia went far beyond the chanting.
England completely controlled the match after Harry Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Jude Bellingham then played a major role in the visitors’ attacking display, scoring once and providing three assists as England repeatedly exposed gaps in the Croatian defence.
Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka added further goals before half-time, leaving Croatia 4-0 down at the interval.
Rather than slowing down after the break, England continued to attack. Kane scored his second of the night, while Saka also completed his brace before Morgan Rogers added the seventh goal late in the game.
The victory was particularly significant for Kane, who took his England goalscoring tally to 89 in his 124th appearance. He is now just one appearance away from equalling Peter Shilton’s record number of caps for the Three Lions.
Bellingham was equally influential, producing a performance that combined creativity, movement and goalscoring threat. His three assists helped England repeatedly unlock a Croatian defence that struggled to cope with the visitors’ attacking movement.
For Croatia, the defeat will raise serious questions about defensive organisation and the team’s ability to compete against one of the strongest sides in the group.
England had already shown their attacking quality earlier in the campaign, but their performance in Rijeka represented one of their most complete displays under Tuchel. England Football described the victory as a “complete performance,” with Tuchel praising the contribution of both his starters and substitutes.
The chants from the England supporters may have contributed to the emotional atmosphere, but the scoreline ultimately came from what happened on the pitch.
Croatia could not contain England’s pressing, movement or finishing, while the Three Lions continued creating chances throughout the match.
For the Croatian camp, the challenge now is to analyse how the game slipped away so dramatically. The team will need to address the defensive weaknesses exposed by England, rather than allowing the atmosphere surrounding the match to become the main focus.
For England, meanwhile, the 7-0 victory provides another major boost under Tuchel and strengthens their position in the Nations League group.
The night belonged to Kane, Saka, Bellingham and the rest of the England attack — while Croatia were left to reflect on one of the darkest results in their international football history.
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