Rating England's performances through Round of 16
The Three Lions are on the hunt having got through to the Round of 16 following a 2-1 win over the DR Congo. Thomas Tuchel and co. have a lot of attention on them as the demands around the English national team are some of the harshest in world football, the nation's fans and media have in the past been quick to turn on their heroes following any disappointment in major tournaments. With that said, we’ll be diving into the matches they’ve had so far and rate their performances.
England 4-2 Croatia
Things got off to probably the least expected start possible. Tuchel oversaw a near flawless qualification campaign with 10 wins and no goals conceded, it was expected that his team would be able to shore up shop and let their defensive mettle shine in the tournament. Instead, they kicked off by conceding two goals to an ageing Croatian unit in the tournament opener.
Using this link, you can look at some of the game data with there being some concerning
signs. Croatia managed to expose some of the weaknesses in England’s system, creating a
number of chances based purely off of avoiding the temptation to let the Three Lions
dominate possession. Despite that, the winners netted four times and created 20 shots, with
a majority testing the opposition keeper so this one will go down as a positive result.
Rating: 6/10
England 0-0 Ghana
Some of the weaker aspects shined through in this one but there were still some positives.
Ghana were restricted to just two shots in the entire match with only one calling Jordan
Pickford into action. The problem came on the other end where the English attack only
managed to get four of their attempts on goal despite having almost 80% of the possession.
When half-chances don’t become chances, the supposed lions can look toothless but the
sheer suffocation of their opponents and the domination of the possession were commendable.
Rating: 5/10
England 2-0 Panama
Say what you will about weaker opposition but for the final group stage game, we saw the
best form of what Tuchel’s tactical vision is. His team dominated the ball, created chances,
looked clinical, and kept Panama quiet as the minnows only got two shots on target out of
nine. This was the best example of the risk aversion working out as the quality within the
English unit was enough to grind their opposition to a halt and get a strong win.
There will be some disappointment than more attempts weren’t on target but scoring twice
from eight on target is a conversion rate that should earn wins in most outings.
Match Rating: 8/10
England 2-1 DR Congo
Almost the end of the line as the Congolese unit scored early through Brian Cipenga and for some time looked like they would pull off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. The Three Lions prodded gently for a way back in but for almost 60 minutes looked incapable of getting over the line. This was another showcase of their weaknesses; Congo, like Croatia, weren’t as afraid to hold on to possession and were able to take away one of the biggest strengths of how England set up.
If you can get away from the suffocation that Tuchel wants, you can get at this back line.
Admittedly, the right-back options being hit so badly that Djed Spence is deputising will no
doubt hurt the team but not enough for this performance to be justified.
The good conversion rate came in clutch as legendary striker Harry Kane came to his
country’s rescue but there’s only so many times that can be relied on.
Match Rating: 4/10
England have reached the quarter-finals, but their performances have been far from convincing. While Thomas Tuchel's side have shown defensive control, patience in possession, and enough individual quality to progress, they have also struggled to break down organized opponents and looked vulnerable whenever rivals have been willing to retain the ball. With the level of competition only increasing from this point forward, England will need to produce a more complete performance if they are to justify their status as one of the tournament favorites.
World Cup 2026 fixture