“He was having a tough time” – Zlatan Ibrahimovic felt worried after watching one England player in the match against DR Congo.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic shared that he was a bit worried watching one England player during their exciting late win against DR Congo. England came from behind to win in Atlanta, with star striker Harry Kane scoring twice to move past Pele as the sixth highest goalscorer in World Cup history.
DR Congo started strong with an early goal from Brian Cipenga, and their quick attacks caused problems for England at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. England got better after some substitutions and a second hydration break, with Anthony Gordon helping out by assisting both of Kane’s goals.
Djed Spence had a tough time playing right-back and was replaced by Eberechi Eze, while Declan Rice stepped in later to fill the position. Rice, who missed the Panama game due to injury, played most of this match despite nerve pain in his hamstring. Ibrahimovic noticed Rice struggling a bit with running during the game.
“I saw England having a hard time physically,” Ibrahimovic said on Fox Sports after the 2-1 win. “I didn’t see them running like before, especially Declan Rice. His strength is his running, but he seemed to struggle. Not just him, the others too. But the important thing is that they won. England always feels a lot of pressure to win, but we’re happy they made it through. We need England in this tournament.”
England has had some trouble with the right-back spot. Tino Livramento was sent home due to a calf injury requiring surgery. Reece James missed his second game in a row with a hamstring issue, and Jarell Quansah was on the bench but didn’t even get his kit on after his ankle injury against Panama. So, Spence got the chance to play right-back but got a tough talking-to from Thomas Tuchel during training.
The idea to have Rice play at right-back came from England’s assistant coach Anthony Barry. Rice connected well with fellow Arsenal players Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, but he was subbed off late in the game and seen with an ice pack on his hamstring. Still, Rice told BBC 5 Live he felt “fine” when asked about his fitness.
Next up, England faces a tough match against co-hosts Mexico at high altitude in the Azteca Stadium on Sunday evening. Tuchel called the challenge “impossible.” Mexico recently beat Ecuador 2-0 to reach the round of 16 and have not lost at home since 2013.
If England wins against Mexico, they’ll face Brazil or Norway in the quarterfinals on July 11.