England’s march through Group L encountered its first obstacle on Tuesday night as Ghana frustrated Thomas Tuchel’s men in a goalless draw that exposed the challenges of tournament football.
While the result leaves the Three Lions comfortably placed at the summit of the group, it served as a stark contrast to the attacking display that swept aside Croatia just four days earlier.
Faced with a disciplined and organised Ghanaian side, England struggled to replicate the fluency that characterised their opening victory. Ghana arrived with a clear tactical blueprint, defending deep, closing central spaces and directing England’s attacks into wider areas. The strategy proved highly effective, with England dominating possession at 78.2% and earning numerous corners but failing to find a decisive breakthrough.
Midfielder Jude Bellingham acknowledged the quality of Ghana’s defensive approach and praised their execution after the match.
“Different opponent, mate. We played Croatia in the first game, Ghana in the second. I think Ghana knew what they had to do to get out of the group. I think they’ve done it exceptionally well. Their defensive shape, especially the way they blocked through the middle and tried to get us to play and funnel us to the wide areas.”
The encounter highlighted the difference between England’s first two group-stage matches. Against Croatia, there was space to exploit and opportunities to attack in behind the defence. Ghana, however, offered no such openings. Captain Harry Kane found himself largely isolated and managed only two touches inside the penalty area before sending a late chance over the crossbar.
Despite the disappointment, Bellingham insisted the squad remains focused and prepared to deal with criticism following an underwhelming display.
“Yeah, I think you’ve got to roll with it. I think when we play well, like the other day, we got the credit we deserved, and we weren’t at our best again today. It’s normal that there’s going to be a little bit of noise and that’s completely fair and completely normal for us. It is just about cracking on, getting back to Kansas, recovering well, analysing what we did and keep going the same way that we were going before with the same mentality, with the same attitude and we’ll be fine.”
The midfielder also admitted that England’s struggles in a second group-stage fixture have become a familiar theme at major tournaments.
“Yeah, very frustrating. Second-game fever, you know, the same as always with us. It feels like in all the tournaments I’ve been to, it’s been the same. A decent performance to start and a good win, but the second one frustrates one a bit because of how they defended and how they set up. Credit to them. They got exactly out of the game what they played for.
“We couldn’t quite break them down. Even with all the corners, all the possession and the shots from distance, it’s one of those things that happens. It’s important for us and for you guys as well, not to get too negative or heat up on it. We’ll prepare, we’ll watch the footage, see where we could have been better and prepare for Panama.”
England looked more threatening after Bukayo Saka entered the match in the second half. The Arsenal winger, continuing to manage an Achilles concern, injected pace and creativity into the attack and forced Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare into a crucial late save. His performance strengthened his case for a place in the starting line-up, while Marcus Rashford is also expected to be considered as Tuchel searches for greater attacking width and penetration.
Reflecting on the closing stages, Bellingham suggested England could have shown more urgency but stopped short of viewing the result as a major setback.
“Fair play to them, credit to them. They were excellent. We probably could have done a little bit more to open them up. Towards the end of the game, I think it’s just about committing bodies and trying to take risks. But, like I said, not the end of the world.”
Former England captain Wayne Rooney believes the performance could prompt changes ahead of Saturday’s clash with Panama.
“I now expect changes on Saturday night against Panama,” Rooney told BBC Sport. “England probed, but there are little details throughout that game that Tuchel will look at with the team and try to improve on.”
“When a team is sitting in a low block, you have to cross the ball. It is very difficult to defend against. I don’t think we crossed the ball enough in 90 minutes.”
Although England remain firmly on course for qualification to the last 32, the draw provided a timely reminder that World Cup progress is rarely straightforward. After the excitement generated by the victory over Croatia, Ghana delivered a defensive masterclass that left Tuchel’s side searching for answers. England’s next task will be ensuring those answers are found before Panama presents another demanding test.
