Harry Kane scored two goals, including a dramatic stoppage-time winner to help England take a 2-1 victory over Tunisia in its World Cup opener.
The late goal allowed England to overcome a 35th minute penalty scored by Tunisia’s Ferjani Sassi, which was nearly enough for the African side to escape with a draw.
England Dominates, But Keeps Game Close
England started the match quickly, generating a host of chances in the opening minute. That quickly bore fruit for the English, as Kane was able to convert in the 11th minute after the ball fell to his feet just feet from the goal after a save by Mouez Hassen.
England had several more opportunities to score in the first half, with several players failing to convert on clear chances. That kept Tunisia in the game despite being outplayed badly in the early stages, and the occasional counterattack suggested that one goal might not be enough for England to feel secure.
That was proven in the 34th minute when Kyle Walker committed a careless foul in the box, catching Ben Youssef with his elbow while defending a cross. The referee immediately awarded a penalty, and Sassi converted, despite English goaltender Jordan Pickford getting a fingertip to the shot.
England continued to dominate possession and get plenty of scoring chances, ultimately producing 17 shots in the match. But it wasn’t until the 91st minute that a headed ball off a corner kick came right to an unmarked Kane, who calmly headed it into the net to give England the win.
“I thought we played really well, could have scored a few more,” Kane said after the match. “Credit to the lads we kept going, got to the last second and we’re absolutely buzzing.”
Belgium Carves Through Panama, 3-0
While England is no doubt pleased with its their three points, Belgium will take the early lead in Group G. The Belgians were held scoreless in the first half by a resolute Panama, but scored three times in the second half to earn a comfortable victory.
The key goal came just after halftime, when Dries Mertens scoring on an impressive volley in the 47th minute to open up the scoring. That forced Panama to open the game, leading to two goals in a six-minute span for Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku to put the match out of reach.
The results have made Belgium and England all but certain to go through to the knockout rounds, with William Hill offering 1/40 odds on each to advance.
Earlier in the day, Sweden took care of business by scoring a 1-0 victory over South Korea. The lone goal was scored by Andreas Granqvist in the 65th minute on a penalty that wasn’t immediately awarded by referee Joel Aguilar, but which came after review by the video assistant referee (VAR).
“We played the match the way we intended, but I’m a little unhappy with the chances we didn’t put away,” Swedish coach Janne Andersson said after the match.
The win moves Sweden into a tie for first place in Group F with Mexico, which upset Germany by an identical 1-0 score on Sunday. Mexico (1/5) and Germany (2/5) are still the favorites to advance out of the group, though Sweden (even) is certainly in the mix with critical matches against both of those teams yet to come.
