England Humiliate Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka as Bellingham Runs Riot

The last time Croatia met England in a competitive fixture, the Vatreni danced into a World Cup final and a national broadcaster crowed, “We murdered the English in the second half!” That night in Moscow belonged to Luka Modrić and a golden generation. In Rijeka, the roles were not merely reversed; they were obliterated.

England delivered the most lopsided away victory in the history of this fixture, a 7-0 evisceration that was every bit as emphatic as the scoreline suggests. The expected-goals column read 6.14 to 1.37, a statistical mirror of the carnage rather than a correction. Croatia’s 4-1-4-1 shape was pulled apart by an England 4-2-3-1 that functioned like a swarm, turning possession into penetration with surgical speed.

The contest was effectively over before the half-hour mark. Harry Kane opened the scoring in the eighth minute, sweeping a right-footed finish past the goalkeeper after Jude Bellingham had carved open the Croatian midfield. The chance carried an xG of 0.39, a warning that England were finding high-value looks with ease.

Bellingham turned scorer in the 21st minute. Anthony Gordon, a livewire on the left, slipped a pass into the box and the Real Madrid midfielder rifled home a right-footed shot worth 0.58 xG. Croatia’s back line, anchored by a single pivot in their 4-1-4-1, was being dragged into spaces it could not cover.

Gordon got his own goal six minutes before the interval, rising to head in a Jarell Quansah cross. The header registered 0.39 xG, underlining how England were manufacturing chances from both wide and central areas. Then, in the final minute of the half, Bukayo Saka made it four. Bellingham, again the architect, fed the Arsenal winger for a right-footed finish that carried a towering 0.91 xG — a chance so clear that missing would have been the greater surprise.

By the break, England had amassed 3.49 xG from 12 shots, seven of them on target. Croatia had not managed a single effort on goal. The hosts’ 37% possession was sterile; their 10 touches in the England box produced nothing. The 4-0 scoreline was not a fluke. It was a forensic dismantling.

Any hope of a Croatian response evaporated eight minutes after the restart. Elliot Anderson, introduced at the interval, drove into the area and squared for Kane to tap in his second of the night. The chance was rated at 0.93 xG, the highest-value opportunity of the match. England were now creating from everywhere.

Saka grabbed his brace in the 68th minute, this time assisted by Kane. The right-footed strike from inside the box carried 0.46 xG, a reflection of the space England were consistently finding between Croatia’s lines. The hosts’ 4-1-4-1 had become a collection of disconnected parts, the midfield shield bypassed with every forward pass.

Morgan Rogers put the final flourish on the scoreboard in the 87th minute. Bellingham collected his third assist of the evening, slipping the ball to the substitute for a left-footed finish worth 0.25 xG. It was the seventh unanswered goal, and it came from England’s 24th touch inside the Croatia box in the second half alone.

Croatia did manage a single shot on target after the interval, and their overall xG crept to 1.37, but the damage was long since done. England’s second-half xG of 2.65 from only seven shots illustrated the quality of the chances they continued to create. The visitors finished with 64% possession, 683 accurate passes at 92% completion, and 48 touches in the opposition box. Croatia’s 17 touches in the England area told the story of a team that was never allowed to breathe.

Jude Bellingham was the game’s defining presence. Operating from the No.10 position in England’s 4-2-3-1, he scored once, provided three assists, and was involved in five of the seven goals. His movement between the lines made Croatia’s single pivot irrelevant, and his passing range turned every transition into a threat.

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While Bellingham ran the show, Mateo Kovačić was left to chase shadows. The Croatia captain generated 0.74 xG, the highest figure on his side, but could not convert. He was dispossessed repeatedly and ended the night without a single key pass that led to a shot. The duel between the two midfield generals was as one-sided as the scoreboard.

Harry Kane’s two goals came from a combined xG of 1.36, a testament to his positioning rather than volume. Bukayo Saka’s brace, worth 2.28 xG, reflected his ability to find high-danger zones. Anthony Gordon’s goal and assist, plus Jarell Quansah’s creative contribution from right-back, underlined the collective depth of England’s attacking unit.

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Croatia’s only yellow card, a second-half caution, was a footnote. England committed just six fouls all night, a sign of a team that was never forced into desperation. The 11 big chances created by the visitors against Croatia’s solitary one confirmed that this was not a smash-and-grab but a systematic overrunning.

The 7-0 scoreline will echo far beyond Rijeka. For Croatia, it is the heaviest home defeat in their modern history. For England, it is a statement that the gap between these two nations has not merely closed — it has been inverted.

FotMob, The Guardian, BBC.