England were given a reality check by a stubborn Ghana side, drawing 0-0 in their second World Cup group match. The result leaves Group L finely balanced after England's opening 4-2 win over Croatia.
England fail to build on Croatia win
Harry Kane had warned his teammates before the match about the need to improve on their second-game performances in recent tournaments, having drawn against Scotland and Denmark at the European Championship and the United States at the last World Cup. However, England could not find a breakthrough against an ultra-defensive Ghana team.
Thomas Tuchel made attacking changes from the bench, introducing Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, and Eberechi Eze. Saka forced a save from Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, while Nico O’Reilly hit the crossbar with a header from a Reece James cross. From the rebound, Kane blazed over, missing a gilt-edged chance. In stoppage time, Marc Guéhi saw a header cleared off the line.
Ghana's defensive resilience
Ghana, under new manager Carlos Queiroz, set up in a compact 4-5-1 system, showing little ambition in attack but defending diligently. They had only two shots all game but earned a point through their defensive organization. England had six shots in the first half, none on target, and struggled to create clear-cut chances.
England had a scare in the 79th minute when substitute Prince Kwabena Adu broke into the box and was challenged by Ezri Konsa, who appeared to touch his opponent first. Ghana appealed for a penalty, but Konsa got the benefit of the doubt.
Tuchel's assessment
Tuchel acknowledged the difficulty of breaking down a low block, saying, "We knew it would be a different test to Croatia. Ghana defended deep and we struggled to find the rhythm. We had chances late on but couldn't take them." England assistant Anthony Barry told ITV at half-time that the first half was "absolutely OK from our point of view" and noted that Ghana defended even deeper than expected.
England remain top of Group L on four points, but the draw leaves them with work to do in their final group match. The result also means England have drawn their second match in three consecutive tournaments.
