Klopp warns Tuchel faced 'immense pressure' as England edge Croatia 4-2 in World Cup opener

Jurgen Klopp has said Thomas Tuchel carried ‘immense pressure’ into England’s World Cup opener, a pressure his compatriot appeared to handle well as the Three Lions beat Croatia 4-2 on Wednesday night to go top of Group L.

Goals from Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford sealed the win, though England had to come from level twice after being pegged back in the first half. Tuchel’s side went into the break all square before producing what Kane described as an inspired second-half display — one the captain attributed directly to the head coach’s dressing room speech at half-time.

“Thomas was under immense pressure today,” Klopp told MagentaTV, reflecting on the significance of the occasion as Tuchel’s first competitive match in charge of England at a major tournament.

Klopp reserved particular praise for Kane, whose influence he argued is unmatched in the modern game. “How influential can one player actually be? The answer is Harry Kane,” he said. “He has changed the way strikers play. He’s a connector; he brings everyone into the game.” Klopp added that he expected Kane’s legacy to endure long after his playing days: “I recently heard that books will be written about him, songs will be sung about him in the future.”

Tuchel, speaking after the final whistle, revealed the substance of his half-time address to the squad. “Even if we lose, it will not change my perception of the last 17 days — but let’s do it our way. We were too focused on protecting the result,” he told ITV. “We were a back seven and we didn’t defend. If the result doesn’t go our way, we want to play our way. I tried to encourage them to go for it.”

England’s next Group L fixture is against Ghana on Tuesday night, with kick-off at 9pm BST. The Black Stars arrive having beaten Panama 1-0 thanks to Caleb Yirenkyi’s 95th-minute winner in the early hours of Wednesday morning.