England produced one of their finest performances under Thomas Tuchel as they swept aside Croatia 7-0 in the Uefa Nations League in Rijeka.
Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scored twice each, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and substitute Morgan Rogers also found the net in a relentless attacking display.
The fixture was officially staged behind closed doors as punishment for previous misconduct by Croatia supporters, although 6,000 schoolchildren and 100 visiting fans were permitted to attend.
They witnessed England build on their victory over the Czech Republic with an emphatic result against Slaven Bilic’s side, just 108 days after beating Croatia 4-2 at the World Cup in Dallas.
Kane opened the scoring after eight minutes, capitalising on a mistake by Josko Gvardiol. Bellingham supplied the pass and the England captain drove his finish high beyond Dominik Livakovic.
Bellingham doubled the lead in the 21st minute, converting from close range after Gordon expertly controlled Saka’s cross at the far post.
Gordon then claimed his fourth goal in as many games, heading home an accurate delivery from Jarell Quansah.
Croatia struggled to contain England’s movement, and Saka made it 4-0 just before the interval with a straightforward finish from Bellingham’s cross.
The visitors maintained their intensity after the break. Eight minutes into the second half, Kane slid in at the far post to convert Elliot Anderson’s delivery for his second goal.
Further defensive errors allowed Saka to add England’s sixth, before Rogers rounded Livakovic to complete the rout.
England’s front four overwhelmed a Croatia side that had never previously lost in Rijeka and had suffered only four defeats in their previous 41 home matches.
The hosts’ disorganised defending contributed to the scale of the result, but England combined clinical finishing with sharp movement and inventive play throughout.
Their attacking approach has become increasingly evident since Tuchel faced criticism for his cautious tactics in the World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina.
Even in the opening Nations League loss to Spain, England created opportunities. Kane’s missed penalty denied them a potential 3-1 lead before Spain recovered to win 3-2.
Against Croatia, the captain was central to a commanding performance, scoring twice and setting up one of Saka’s goals.
Saka also finished with a double and threatened to add more, while Gordon continued his outstanding run since joining Barcelona from Newcastle United.
Gordon’s contributions as both a scorer and creator have strengthened his claim to England’s left-sided attacking role.
Bellingham was equally influential, registering a goal and three assists. Having answered questions about his starting place with an impressive World Cup campaign, he delivered another reminder of his quality.
Rogers, his rival for the number 10 position, made an impact from the bench with the final goal, underlining the depth of attacking options available to Tuchel.
Croatia offered little resistance, but England took full advantage to deliver a convincing statement of their attacking potential.
