England recorded their biggest-ever World Cup win as they thumped Panama 6-1 in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday afternoon.
Gareth Southgate started with Ruben Loftus-Cheek in midfield, with the England boss continuing his tradition of naming a new starting 11 in each game.
20 – England have named a unique starting XI in all 20 of Gareth Southgate’s matches in charge. Tinkered. #ENGPAN #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/QNafaKhySs
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2018
John Stones got the ball rolling after just eight minutes, with the Manchester City left totally unmarked to head home from a corner.
Panama got themselves into good positions on a number of occasions, however, it was England who would score again on 22 minutes, courtesy of yet another World Cup 2018 penalty.
Jesse Lingard was the man fouled in the box, with Harry Kane smashing home the resulting spot-kick.
On 36 minutes, Lingard scored a peach of a goal, playing a neat one-two with Raheem Sterling before curling the ball into the top corner.
Panama were a defensive shambles now and England soon made it 4-0, with Stones getting his second of the game after Sterling headed straight at ‘keeper Jaime Penedo.
There was still time for the Three Lions to bag their fifth of the game before the break, via yet another crisply taken Kane penalty after Stones was manhandled in the box at a corner.
In the second-half, England relaxed a little but just after the hour-mark, Kane nabbed his hat-trick in fortuitous circumstances, deflecting in an effort from Loftus-Cheek.
Two penalties and a deflection is hardly the most complete of hat-tricks, but they all count!
3 – Harry Kane is only the third England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, after Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final, and @GaryLineker vs Poland in 1986. Illustrious. #ENGPAN #ENG #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/KH50ZlnmZJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2018
The Spurs man was then hauled off, with Jamie Vardy getting a run-out.
Fabian Delph and then Danny Rose also came off the bench as Southgate looked to rest his players ahead of their heavyweight clash with Belgium.
Taking their foot off the gas, England would concede on 78 minutes, with Felipe Baloy netting Panama’s first-ever World Cup goal after lax defending from a free-kick.
The game would end 6-1 to England, a convincing result, albeit against a weak opponent who did at least bag their first ever World Cup goal.
Through to the Last 16, the Three Lions now face a showdown with Belgium on Thursday to see who tops the group.
That clash will finally give us a genuine idea of just how good this young England side is.