On October 4 (CET), Croatia suffered a devastating 7-0 home defeat to England in the UEFA Nations League, following a 1-4 away loss to Spain. The Athletic reported that Croatia was completely outpaced by England, marking the end of the golden generation led by Luka Modrić.

According to reports, England completely dominated Croatia in the Nations League, demonstrating a powerful attacking display. Under Thomas Tuchel's guidance, the team scored four goals in the first half, ultimately winning 7-0 at the stadium in Rijeka.

Four forwards in peak form

Against Croatia, England displayed their most spectacular attacking football of this international window. Tuchel's "Three Lions" were relentless, repeatedly breaking down a struggling opponent. Particularly in the first half, the two teams were clearly on different levels.

England's attacking quartet delivered a flawless performance: all four scored before halftime, leaving Croatia without a chance. Smooth passing, intelligent movement between players, and waves of attacks constantly overwhelmed the opposing defense. Jude Bellingham, playing as a number 10, was unstoppable: he first provided a brilliant through-ball that led to Kane's opening goal, then scored the second himself.

Anthony Gordon and Saka constantly created threats on both flanks, stretching and cutting through the defense, repeatedly exposing vulnerabilities and confirming the flaws in Croatia's high defensive line strategy.

This is the England that Thomas Tuchel promised: high-pressing, technically brilliant, and ruthlessly efficient. Croatia's golden era may have long passed, but any team in world football would struggle to stop England when they're in such devastating form. When the "Three Lions" unleash their full attacking potential, the spectacle is unmatched.

Hard to believe Anthony Gordon wasn't in England's starting lineup just three months ago

In a World Cup qualifier against the Democratic Republic of Congo, Anthony Gordon was on the bench while Thomas Tuchel preferred Rashford on the left wing.

However, Gordon, brought on as a substitute in that match, provided two assists for Harry Kane. Since then, he has played seven matches for England, scoring four goals and providing five assists.

He has now scored in four consecutive England matches, a streak that began in a World Cup semifinal against Argentina. There's no doubt the 25-year-old forward is at the peak of his career.

Anthony Gordon has long possessed the ability to influence top-level matches. Since his summer transfer from Newcastle to Barcelona, he has not only become more consistent and developed a wider range of attacking skills, but his entire character has transformed. This is due to the increased confidence and authority gained from joining an elite club—this season he has already provided four assists in six La Liga matches, constantly creating scoring opportunities for his teammates in attack.

Anthony Gordon now possesses an undeniable aura of dominance. With Lewis Hall behind him and Jude Bellingham to his right, their partnership is productive and effective, constantly breaking through the opposing defense and creating threats.

Where were the fans in the stands?

The atmosphere at this international match was highly unusual. UEFA had initially imposed a ban on Croatia that prohibited fans from attending. Later, both sides reached a compromise: tickets for this match were distributed to 6,000 local schoolchildren, creating an atmosphere somewhere between a school assembly and a pop concert.

Had the match been held in Zagreb or Split, England would have faced a hostile crowd. But any sense of confrontation was limited to a banner at the start. After the chant "football's not coming home," passionate Croatian fan noise was quickly drowned out by England's relentless attacking waves.

England was allocated just 100 tickets, all reserved for loyal supporters who have followed the team for over two decades, allowing this small group of dedicated fans to support their side.

They were also kept out of the traditional away section. The stand where England scored in the first half was a small seating area surrounded by metal barriers, which some in Croatian football jokingly called "Guantanamo."

Complete collapse for Croatia

For Croatian children who received free tickets to their team's home match, this should have been a dream. Instead, it became a nightmare, like that famous scene from "The Simpsons": "Stop, he's already dead." Some children began booing, while others left early.

Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovačić rounded goalkeeper Pickford but missed a wide-open goal. The camera captured a child in the stands, shocked and covering their face. It's quite likely they had never witnessed such a scene in their life.

While England's performance was smooth, quick, and spectacular, Croatia's display was simply too poor, bordering on absurd.

Kovačić's glaring one-on-one miss was like a disgusting icing on a burnt cake; however, Croatia's chaotic defense was the primary reason for this catastrophic defeat.

Players frequently lost their markers and couldn't track England's attacking players, proving utterly helpless against England's passing, movement, and pace. Stanišić momentarily lost his mind with a horizontal pass in his own penalty area directly to Saka, gifting Saka his second goal and England's sixth. This goal perfectly encapsulated a nightmarish evening for coach Dalic's team.

Just this week, they conceded four goals to Spain. Croatia's golden generation, featuring Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Mateo Kovačić, has finally come to an end.

Worst defeat in history

Many had to take a second look at the scoreline to believe it.

For context: this is Croatia's worst defeat in their history, surpassing their previous record of a 0-6 away loss to Spain in the 2018 UEFA Nations League. Croatia had never lost an official home match at the Rijeka stadium, let alone by such a one-sided margin.

Three goals were scored in the second half alone, with 10 substitutions made, and the referee added just 2 minutes of stoppage time, purely out of sympathy for the hosts. But for England, this was a hugely significant and convincing victory. They had 10 shots on target and numerous other excellent chances they failed to convert; with their dominance, they could have easily scored double digits. It was truly shocking.

England manager Thomas Tuchel's post-match press conference statement

"A great victory. From the first to the last minute, the team showed the highest level. For four or five minutes we gave away chances and lost possession, but overall the pace, technical level, and intensity of movement without the ball were outstanding."

"I'm very pleased with the players' mentality. There was no arrogance in the team, and they remained humble throughout the match. It was a complete and high-quality 90-minute performance. The substitutes brought plenty of energy, and the running intensity and competitive level of every player were at their maximum."

Переведено ИИ.

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