England 2–1 Congo DR: Kane Double Rescues England After Early Scare

For an hour, England were in serious trouble. Congo DR — the group stage's great overachievers — led through Bilal Cipenga's seventh-minute strike and defended it with organisation and nerve. Then Anthony Gordon came off the bench, Harry Kane did what Harry Kane does, and England escaped the Round of 32 with a 2–1 win that was far harder than anyone in their camp will admit.

The start could scarcely have gone worse. Chancel Mbemba's pass carved England open inside seven minutes and Cipenga finished emphatically — the reward for a Congolese game plan that pressed England's build-up and attacked the spaces behind their full-backs. A rattled England accumulated frustration and a Jude Bellingham booking, and went in at the break behind and booed by sections of their support.

Gordon Changes Everything

The turning point came in the 61st minute, when Anthony Gordon replaced Marcus Rashford. Suddenly England had directness, width and a supply line. In the 75th minute Gordon's delivery found Kane for the equaliser; in the 86th, the pair combined again — same route, same finisher, same outcome. Two crosses, two Kane goals, and a tie turned on a substitution.

Congo DR, who had held Portugal and beaten Uzbekistan to reach this stage, could summon no final twist. They depart as one of the stories of the tournament — a first knockout appearance built on resilience and no little quality.

England will bank the result and burn the tape. A Round of 16 date with the hosts Mexico awaits on July 6 — a step up in class, in atmosphere and in consequence. On the evidence of the first hour here, Gareth Southgate's successors have plenty to solve before then; on the evidence of the last thirty minutes, they still have Kane, and that may be enough.

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