England got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia, but it was far from a comfortable evening for the Three Lions.
Going into the match, I expected a cautious opening game. Instead, they were treated to six goals, plenty of attacking football, and a few nervous moments at the back.
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Harry Kane is the first player to opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Noni Madueke was brought down in the box. His first attempt was saved, but the goalkeeper had moved off his line too early, so the penalty was retaken. Kane kept his cool and made sure England took the lead.
Even though England looked the better side for most of the first half, Croatia showed why they are always a difficult team to face. Martin Baturina punished a defensive mistake to level the score, reminding England that they could not afford to switch off.
Kane restored England's lead before halftime with a well-taken bullet header from a Declan Rice corner. Just when it looked like England would head into the break in front, Croatia struck again. Petar Musa finished off a neat move to make it 2-2, leaving England with work to do in the second half.
Whatever Thomas Tuchel said in the dressing room clearly worked. Because England came out with full force and much more energy and purpose after the break. Just two minutes into the second half, Jude Bellingham showed his class by driving into the box and curling a brilliant finish into the far corner.
From then on, England looked dangerous every time they attacked. They created chance after chance and kept Croatia pinned back to their half for long periods. The Croatian goalkeeper made several outstanding saves to keep his team in the game, but there was only so much he could do.
The fourth goal eventually arrived late in the match when Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford combined beautifully. Rashford finished calmly to put the result beyond doubt and cap off an impressive attacking display.
For me, the biggest positive was England's response after being pegged back twice. In previous tournaments, situations like that sometimes led to frustration and caution. This time, the team kept pushing forward and showed real belief.
The attack looks sharp, Bellingham continues to shine, and Kane once again proved why he is so important to the England team. The defense still needs some work, but if England can maintain this attacking threat, they will feel confident heading into their next match against Ghana.
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