England Humiliates Croatia with a 'Seven-Goal' Rout

The English national team inflicted a humiliating defeat on their Croatian counterparts, winning 7-0 in Croatia’s backyard, in the third round of Group 3 in League A of the UEFA Nations League yesterday. England sealed the result in the first half with a four-goal barrage scored by captain Harry Kane (8th minute), Jude Bellingham (21st), Anthony Gordon (39th), and Bukayo Saka (45th). The Three Lions added two more goals in the second half, starting with Kane, who netted his personal second and his team’s fifth, following an assist from Elliott Anderson (53rd minute). German Bayern Munich striker Kane then provided a decisive pass to Bukayo Saka, who finished clinically (68th minute), before being substituted off in the 70th minute for Morgan Rogers. The substitute did not disappoint, capping off the scoring spree just three minutes before the end of regular time (87th minute). The 33-year-old Kane increased his tally to 89 goals in 124 appearances for his national team. Despite coach Slaven Bilić’s attempts to bolster his defense by removing veteran midfielder Luka Modrić (41 years old) and bringing on Kristijan Jakić (57th minute), the home side failed to halt the English onslaught, particularly against Bellingham, who added three assists to his goal-scoring record. Saka told ITV Sport after the match: “I think we showed the hunger, passion, and quality we possess. This performance was a combination of everything we strive for as an English national team.” The match, originally scheduled to be held behind closed doors for disciplinary reasons, was played in front of more than 6,000 children invited by the Croatian Football Federation, in accordance with regulations, along with approximately 100 visiting fans. England secured their second consecutive victory following their away win against Czechia 2-0, which came after their opening home defeat to world champions Spain 2-3. England moved up to six points, sitting second behind top-ranked Spain, who also have six points from a perfect record. The German-coached side, led by Thomas Tuchel, will host Czechia in the fourth round on the 6th of this month, while Spain will face Croatia on the same day.