England (4-2-3-1)Jordan Pickford A spectator for the first half but was very lucky to escape further punishment after bringing down Prince Adu. 5Reece James A bright start before needing lengthy treatment after being clattered by Jordan Ayew. Faded badly. 6Djed Spence Surprise choice to replace Nico O’Reilly at left-back, the Spurs man didn’t do anything to justify his selection. 5Marc Guéhi Slotted back into England’s back four in place of John Stones, his range of passing adds so much. 6Ezri Konsa Superb tackle to deny Antoine Semenyo in a dangerous position, although could easily have conceded a penalty. 5Declan Rice Back to his marauding best during the first 20 minutes but was noticeable how England dropped off after that. 7Elliot Anderson Far too slow in possession. Has to be much more proactive with his forward passing. 5Noni Madueke Caused Ghana problems with his directness but lacks quality with the final pass. 6Jude Bellingham Effort can’t be faulted on his 50th cap but couldn’t summon the cutting edge he showed against Croatia. 6Anthony Gordon Clever dummy early on to start a move but little else of substance. Place must be seriously under pressure. 4Harry Kane Only managed eight touches in an uncharacteristically quiet first half. Should have buried late rebound. 6Subs: Saka (for Gordon, 66) Finally injected some urgency after coming on for Gordon. 7; O’Reilly (for Spence, 66) Will be disappointed not to have started. So unlucky not to score with header 6; Rogers (for Bellingham, 74) Some driving runs as England chased winner. 6; Eze (for Anderson, 74) Almost punished for losing ball in midfield. Looks far more comfortable further forward. 5; Rashford (for Madueke, 83) Looked frustrated after coming off bench. 6Ghana (4-3-3)Benjamin Asare First keeper from Ghana’s league to start a game for them at a World Cup didn’t have much to do. 6Marvin Senaya Caught out by Djed Spence and Anthony Gordon in early stages but settled down and spurned good chance. 6Gideon Mensah Struggled to cope with twin threat of Reece James and Noni Madueke to start with, grew in confidence as game went on. 7Jerome Opoku A giant of a man who proved he is no mug with the ball at his feet either. England couldn’t find a way through him. 8Jonas Adjetey Organiser in chief of the defence. Plays club football for Wolfsburg but looked a world beater. 8Caleb Yirenkyi After his late winner against Panama, another impressive from the emerging star of Ghana’s midfield. 7Thomas Partey Marshalled Ghana’s midfield superbly and made sure that Kane’s influence was kept to a minimum. 7Kwasi Sibo Ran his socks off for the cause and produced a crucial block to stop Elliot Anderson scoring from corner. 7Antoine Semenyo Clear that England were wary of the threat he posed. But will be frustrated not to have had a clear sight of goal. 7Jordan Ayew Put himself about as per usual. The Leicester man loves a bit of rough and tumble. 7Iñaki Williams The Athletic Bilbao forward fulfilled his defensive duties but didn’t get much chance to show his attacking skills. 6
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