Kane's brace rescues England as Tuchel's side edge DR Congo 2-1 in Atlanta

Harry Kane scored twice in the second half to drag England past DR Congo 2-1 at the Atlanta Stadium in Georgia on 2 July, securing a World Cup Round of 32 victory that Thomas Tuchel’s side had to work hard to earn.

England were rocked inside the opening period when Brian Cipenga exploited defensive disorganisation to slot a low effort past Jordan Pickford at his near post, giving DR Congo a shock lead that flattered their opponents’ struggles. For long stretches England looked flat and disjointed, and when they did carve out openings, Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi produced a string of world-class saves to deny Jude Bellingham and Kane.

The turnaround came after tactical adjustments during a second-half drinks break. Substitute Anthony Gordon delivered a precise cross from the left and Kane met it with a header to level the tie and finally breach a resolute Congolese defence.

With extra time looming, Kane found space in a crowded penalty area and drove an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net to complete the comeback and seal England’s place in the last 16.

The tension was felt throughout the stadium and in the stands, where Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan watched the match. The 30-year-old posted a series of photographs from her seat on Instagram, writing alongside them: “Prayers were said to the lord tonight.” The post drew more than 63,000 likes from her 158,000 followers.