Thomas Tuchel Stands Firm on Tactics After England’s Victory Over Croatia

Thomas Tuchel, the German manager of the England national team, spoke about the Three Lions’ thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in the 2026 World Cup.

On Thursday morning, England secured a dramatic win against Croatia at the AT&T Stadium, during the second round of Group 12 in the World Cup.

In an interview with ITV, Tuchel reflected on the match, stating, “The first half was complicated; we felt anxious, and the players made decisions to seek safety by falling back. We lacked the right rhythm and confidence to find spaces.”.

He continued, “I saw a statistic showing that we won only 33% of duels in the first half compared to 73% after the break. This confirms that we were not good when in possession of the ball and lacked commitment.”.

Tuchel praised his players’ response in the second half: “I told them that even if we lost this match, I would not change my approach. We need to lose playing our desired style, and I tried to encourage them.”.

England’s Lineup Against Croatia in World Cup 2026

Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford.

Defense: Nico O’Reilly – Konsa – Stones – Reece James.

Midfield: Declan Rice – Elliot Anderson – Jude Bellingham.

Attack: Anthony Gordon – Noni Madueke – Harry Kane.

Croatia’s Lineup Against England in World Cup 2026

Goalkeeper: Dominik Livaković.

Defense: Josip Stanišić – Joško Gvardiol – Josip Sutalo – Luka Vuskovic.

Midfield: Luka Modrić – Mario Pašalić – Martin Baturina – Petar Sučić.

Attack: Ivan Perišić – Petar Musa.