England 2-1 DR Congo: Harry Kane’s late double seals dramatic comeback win

Just look at the scenes in London when Harry Kane scored that late winner for England.

Bonkers.

England’s players and fans are united in celebration and delight.

They sing ‘Wonderwall’ together at the final whistle.

That has become the song of their tournament.

Brilliant scenes.

Harry Kane has delivered once again for England.

He turns and slams home into the roof of the net.

England’s fans go bonkers.

DR Congo just couldn’t hold on.

Kane now has 13 goals in World Cup history, moving joint-sixth and overtaking Pele in the all-time goalscoring charts.

Anthony Gordon loops the ball to the back post and Harry Kane loses his marker and heads home.

The goalkeeper almost got to it again, but it goes in.

1-1.

England’s fans and players and the coaching staff go crazy. Relief is the main emotion.

That all came from England looping a long ball over the top initially and catching DR Congo out of position.

Can England go on and win it now?

Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon are on for Noni Madueke and Marcus Rashford.

Tuchel needs Saka to take charge of this game.

England need to step this up a few gears.

Bellingham’s cross from the left takes a flick and is going in at the near post.

But Mpasi-Nazu is there again and reacts well to save initially.

The ball then loops up and he claws it off his line with a defender almost hacking the ball away too.

My word, DR Congo’s goalkeeper is having the game of his life.

Marcus Rashford surges free down the left and beats his man in the box.

He drills a low shot on goal which beats the goalkeeper, but it is just wide.

The ball hits the side-netting.

Rashford had to have a pop there but probably should have gone across goal.

It is all England to start the second half.

They have had multiple corners and DR Congo are defending well.

But the momentum is all with England.

The Three Lions are pushing hard for this equalizer.

Thomas Tuchel’s side went behind early to Cipenga’s smart finish and almost gave up a second when Wissa hit the post.

But England have created numerous chances with Bellingham twice going close, Rashford having a shot cleared off the line and Kane should have had a penalty kick and Mpasi-Nzau denied him superbly at the end of the half.

England will keep on plugging away but very soon Tuchel will have to surely bring on Eze, Saka, Watkins and Rogers to try and force the issue and go for it.

At this point, England have to go for it. They have been excellent since the hydration break in the first half.

Declan Rice whips a corner to the back post and Harry Kane is free.

He spanks a volley on goal but Mpasi-Nzau is there and stands tall to make a huge block.

What a game the DR Congo goalkeeper is having.

Lovely cross from the right finds Bellingham and he flicks his header towards the far bottom corner.

But Mpasi-Nzau is there to make a great stop down low and somehow DR Congo scramble it clear.

England are all over DR Congo late in the first half.

A long ball over the top finds Kane and he’s in.

He gets nudged by a defender at the key moment and is then clipped by the goalkeeper as he goes down.

Kane is certain this is a penalty kick but the referee gives a free kick to DR Congo for simulation.

VAR checks the incident but shockingly the original call stands.

England can’t believe it and they did look like a penalty kick.

A cross on the right from Wan-Bissaka is deflected into the path of Wissa and he is wide open six yards out.

Wissa hits the post.

He should have scored. DR Congo should be 2-0 up.

Wow. He can’t believe it.

First a long ball up top to Harry Kane sees him played in but Axel Tuanzebe makes a brilliant last-ditch block.

Moments later Noni Madueke gets in down the right and crosses as the ball finds Marcus Rashford at the back post.

His shot is going in but somehow Aaron Wan-Bissaka clears off the line.

England pushing hard to make it 1-1 before the break.

England’s best chance of the game so far.

An excellent ball is whipped in from the right from Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham is unmarked.

He heads on target but Mpasi-Nzau saves really well and pushes the ball away from danger.

England have improved massively since the hydration break.

Djed Spence wins a free kick in a dangerous position on the right.

It is swung in and misses the players at the near post.

The ball bounces up and kits Ezri Konsa and is looping towards the top corner, but flies just wide.

England pushing hard.

England are all over the place. They needed this hydration break.

Misplaced passes galore and they look panicked at the back.

This break is when you need Thomas Tuchel to step up with his lauded in-game management and settle them down.

Let’s see what he can come up with.

It’s still early but this stat does not bode well for England.

The Three Lions haven’t won a World Cup game where they’ve conceded first since the final in 1966.

England look rattled early on and the passing is all over the place.

Wow. Absolute stunner in Atlanta as DR Congo take an early lead.

The ball is played over to the back post and Brian Cipenga is unmarked.

He still has a lot to do but his low shot beats Jordan Pickford at the near post and goes in.

The Almeria forward celebrates with a wonderful acrobatic flip and the DR Congo fans are going wild.

England’s fans look stunned.

England’s supporters have been taking over stadiums at this World Cup and have applied for the most tickets alongside the three host nations.

Fans of the Three Lions have descended on Atlanta and the scenes are magnificent in Georgia.

Pretty early kick off today, but the England fans are there and ready to roll.

There is so much experience in this DR Congo lineup and five of their starting lineup played in the Premier League last season.

Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Mbemba and Masuaku are a really solid back four, while Sunderland’s Sadiki is a talent in midfield and Wissa is DR Congo’s main man up top.

It is going to be a tall order for them to pull off the upset but DR Congo only have to look at what Ghana did to England in the group stage for a blueprint in how to shut down the Three Lions.

DR Congo lineup

Mpasi-Nzau; Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Masuaku; Mukau, Moutoussamy, Sadiki; Mbuku, Wissa, Cipenga

Thomas Tuchel has made a couple of changes to England’s starting lineup for their Round of 32 game against DR Congo.

Djed Spence comes in at right back with Reece James and Jarell Quansah out injured.

Noni Madueke starts at right wing with Bukayo Saka dropping to the bench, which is a surprise. But Saka has been struggling with an injury and Madueke has looked sharp so far at this World Cup.

Declan Rice comes into the lineup for Morgan Rogers as Tuchel goes with his preferred 4-2-3-1 system as Jude Bellingham will play as the No. 10 behind Harry Kane.

England lineup confirmed

Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane

Here’s how to watch England and DR Congo going at it in the Round of 32 in Atlanta.

This should be a beauty.

How to watch England vs DR Congo live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 12pm ET
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia
TV Channel: Telemundo
Streaming: Stream live on Peacock, en Espanol

DR Congo have been so much fun to watch at this World Cup and they will make it very difficult for England.

They’re well organized and very physical, while they have some really good counter attacking players with Yoane Wissa scoring three goals and he’s their main threat.

The most dangerous thing about DR Congo is they have nothing to lose.

They can go for it and be aggressive with counters and they seem to know they can hurt England in certain moments with their strengths.

After their draw against Portugal they looked really good in a narrow loss to Colombia and then dismantled Uzbekistan late to reach the knockout rounds.

DR Congo will play with no fear and the minnows are certainly capable of pulling off a huge upset.

Thomas Tuchel believes England will come good and step things up in the knockout rounds as that his players will rise to the pressure and the occasion.

So far it’s been very much 6/10 for England at this World Cup.

They dazzled in the first game against Croatia in a 4-2 win, but since then they’ve looked sluggish against Ghana and Panama.

They should expect a similar game today as DR Congo will sit deep and try to frustrate them.

It will be intriguing to see what Tuchel does with his lineup and which attackers will start.

Harry Kane, obviously, and Jude Bellingham will move back to his regular position as number 10.

Bukayo Saka should start on the right and then it’s a huge scrap on the left between Gordon, Rashford, Rogers and Eze.

England have plenty of great options in attack but it’s all about getting the balance right.

That goes for defensively too, as they’ve looked far too vulnerable on the break.