England 2-0 Panama: Bellingham 62, Kane 67
After the frustration of a listless and goalless draw with Ghana, England needed a response to restore confidence. They found it here through second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, after a gut-wrenching first half that may have had England fans wondering about the death of all things.
Panama sat back and frustrated Thomas Tuchel’s side with disciplined defending and they appeared stumped, struggling to create meaningful chances. Tuchel reshuffled his side in light of Reece James’ hamstring injury, giving Jarell Quansah a role at right-back. Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers returned to the starting XI, while Declan Rice was rested because of his injury.
England dominated possession from the outset but produced little. Panama’s organised midfield and back five largely kept them subdued, even if Rashford forced Orlando Mosquera into an early save after cutting inside from the left, before curling a free-kick narrowly wide later on.
The central Americans themselves carried a threat on the counterattack and Jordan Pickford had to be alert to get down to his right and keep out Jose Luis Rodriguez’s low shot after the winger burst into space inside the penalty area.
The Three Lions continued to labour until half time but things became more promising in the second half. Kane pounded a shot towards Mosquera before the breakthrough came in the 62nd minute from a set piece. Saka delivered corner and amid the tussle in the six-yard area Bellingham managed to get a foot around Gutierrez and tip the ball beyond Mosquera.
England soon doubled their advantage, Bellingham at the centre of it. The midfielder surged forward from the left, skipped beyond two defenders and delivered an inviting cross that Kane met with a towering header beyond Mosquera. It was his 11th World Cup goal, meaning he is now ahead of Gary Lineker as the player with the modt goals scored for England in the World Cup.
Panama thought they had pulled one back deep into stoppage time when Jose Fajardo burst through and fired beyond Pickford, but he was narrowly offside.
