Ibrahimovic says England played with 'one player less' as Bellingham rescues Norway win

Jude Bellingham scored twice to send England into the World Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in the quarter-finals, but Noni Madueke’s anonymous display drew sharp criticism from pundits on both sides of the Atlantic.

England trailed before levelling at 1-1 by the end of normal time, with Bellingham then delivering the decisive blow in extra time to eliminate Erling Haaland’s Norway. The result secured Tuchel’s side a place in the last four, yet much of the post-match conversation centred on Madueke’s struggles on the right wing.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, speaking at half-time in his punditry role, was unsparing in his verdict on the 24-year-old Chelsea winger. “They’re playing with one player less so far. Madueke has been on the pitch,” the former Manchester United striker said. “Every time he gets the ball so far he makes the wrong decision and he’s walking on the pitch. If I’m Thomas Tuchel, I change it because he’s done nothing in this first 45. Even the hydration break didn’t help him.”

Madueke had wasted an early opportunity when Elliot Anderson picked him out with a cross-field pass, only for the winger to send his delivery straight out of play. He also struggled repeatedly in one-on-one situations, failing to beat his full-back throughout the first half.

Gary Neville offered a more technical diagnosis on the Stick to Football podcast, tracing Madueke’s delivery problems to his approach play. “Usually when a player doesn’t cross the ball well, it’s because their stride isn’t right, their pacing running up to the ball,” the former Manchester United captain said. “I think he’s running too fast and doesn’t slow himself down — he might be looking up too much, thinking he can pick someone out with a Beckham-style cross. On the run, at full pace, you’ve only really got three options: whip it in low across goal, pull it back low, or stand it up to the back post. You’ve got to know which one you’re choosing before you get there.”

Neville also challenged the conventional wisdom around winger unpredictability. “They say wingers are unpredictable, as if that’s some kind of positive — but the best wingers are the most predictable players in the world,” he said. “Riyad Mahrez is going to cut back onto his left foot; Salah is going to put it in the far corner; Thierry Henry’s finish from the left; David Beckham will take it out of his feet and whip it in. You know exactly what they’re going to do, and you still can’t stop it. As a winger, you have to have two or three things you do brilliantly.”

Despite the criticism directed at Madueke, England ultimately progressed, with Bellingham’s match-winning contribution ensuring Tuchel’s side remain on course for a potential World Cup final.