England's 4-2 victory over Croatia in their World Cup opener delivered plenty of attacking excitement, but the defensive side of the performance left room for concern. A closer look at how Thomas Tuchel's side played both on and off the ball reveals why they looked so open at the back.

Kane drifting into midfield created cover problems

England's first-half attacking structure was direct and inventive. Declan Rice pulled wide to vacate central midfield, inviting Harry Kane to drop deep and receive before launching long passes into the runs of Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, and Noni Madueke.

The approach created big chances — at times England's front runners found themselves three against three — but it carried a defensive cost. When England lost the ball during the build-up, Kane rather than Rice occupied the central defensive zone, leaving a structural gap that Croatia were able to exploit.

Frequent turnovers from playing too direct

England also struggled to find the right balance in their passing decisions. By attempting to draw Croatia's press before playing long, they sometimes went direct too early and coughed the ball up too often.

Assistant coach Anthony Barry acknowledged the issue at half-time: