Harry Kane was decisive in England’s World Cup opener, twice meeting redirected corners to squeeze past Tunisia 2-1.
Gareth Southgate’s side was troubled in the warm-up by a swarm of insects, so spent most of it spraying themselves with repellent.
The first save was made with an outstretched foot within two minutes on Jesse Lingard and after an initial siege, Mouez Hassen clawed a John Stones header away from a corner, but Harry Kane tapped in the rebound.
Harry Kane was decisive in England’s World Cup opener, twice meeting redirected corners to squeeze past Tunisia 2-1.
Gareth Southgate’s side was troubled in the warm-up by a swarm of insects, so spent most of it spraying themselves with repellent.
The first save was made with an outstretched foot within two minutes on Jesse Lingard and after an initial siege, Mouez Hassen clawed a John Stones header away from a corner, but Harry Kane tapped in the rebound.
Hassen already had an injury before that stunning save and in tears had to come off the pitch just 14 minutes into his World Cup debut.
It seemed to be one-way traffic, until Kyle Walker stretched out an arm behind him and caught Fakhreddine Ben Youssef on the cheek for a penalty. Ferjani Sassi stepped up and converted with a well-taken kick right into the near bottom corner.
England resumed their pressure, as Dele Alli’s header was cleared off the line during a scramble that saw Kane potentially fouled, then Lingard clipped the post from a tight angle.
Kane seemed to be wrestled to the ground again in the area on a set-piece, but VAR did not intervene, and England’s intensity levels dropped considerably as the game wore on.
In stoppages, Tunisia were again punished for their woeful defending from corners, as Maguire nodded it on for totally unmarked Kane to redirect the header at the back post.
Tunisia 1-2 England
Kane 11, 91 (E), Sassi pen 35 (T)
Tunisia: Hassen (Ben Mustapha 15); Meriah, S Ben Youssef, Bronn, Maaloul; Skhiri, Badri, Sassi; F Ben Youssef, Khazri (Khalifa 85), Sliti (Ben Amor 74)
England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Dele Alli (Loftus-Cheek 80), Henderson, Lingard (Dier 93), Young; Sterling (Rashford 68), Kane
Ref: Roldan (COL)