England were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw in Group L by Ghana on Tuesday night, as a stubborn defence left Harry Kane and his teammates bitterly disappointed. The Three Lions once again failed to win their second group-stage match of a major competition. Captain Kane blazed the match's biggest chance over the bar from close range, leaving England with more work to do in their final group game against Panama.
Attention quickly turns to Scotland, who face World Cup heavyweights Brazil tonight as they battle for a place in the knockout rounds. Having beaten Haiti and then lost to Morocco, Steve Clarke's side know that a point would be enough to go through, and a loss may even see them progress as one of the best third-placed sides. In total, six matches are played over the next 24 hours as the final round of group stages begins.
Overnight Results
For those who went to bed after England's 0-0 draw with Ghana, two more matches took place last night, though with only two goals in total. Fellow Group L side Croatia beat Panama 1-0 thanks to Ante Budimir's effort shortly after half-time. Then Crystal Palace's Daniel Munoz got the only goal of the game as Colombia won their second in a row, beating DR Congo 1-0.
Jamie Carragher Slams Thomas Tuchel Decision
Jamie Carragher has criticised Thomas Tuchel and said that the England boss made a 'mistake' in leaving Cole Palmer back home. The Three Lions struggled to create much of note in their 0-0 draw with Ghana, with Carragher claiming the match showcased how much England missed a player of Palmer's quality. He wrote for The Telegraph: "A penny for Cole Palmer's thoughts. If any game underlined why Thomas Tuchel's decision to leave the Chelsea midfielder at home was so risky and controversial, the goalless draw with Ghana was it."
Carragher added: "Here was a scenario we have seen so often at international level: England drawing a blank against a side defending deep, challenging us to find the wizardry to open them up. For that, you need a magician and from the moment Tuchel selected his squad, the worry was that he left out the No 10 with all the best tricks." Carragher further noted: "Tuchel sending on Eberechi Eze for the final 20 minutes will have provoked many in the country to think, 'surely Palmer would have been a better option from the bench?'"
Jude Bellingham Accused of Starting Row
Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz accused Jude Bellingham of sparking a fiery bust-up on the pitch during their draw with England. The Real Madrid midfielder was alleged to have raised tensions near the side of the pitch by launching into a sweary tirade. "He had a bad reaction with some bad names," Queiroz claimed. "My intention was to tell him to cool down with that tackle. He went with his foot against my player. But my first goal was to cool down because I was worried that the player was not in 100 per cent health."
Queiroz continued: "In the middle of the emotional moment, these things are normal. He swears and that created more tension. It's football, it's nothing special. One word created a bit of fire but we cooled down. Football is not dancing in a saloon with tuxedos. It's not a show."
