Captain Kane at the double as Three Lions roar back to edge D.R. Congo at the death

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] eyes were already looking towards a potential last 16 showdown with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/O6iHcNkd/"]Mexico[/a], but that was made to feel incredibly premature inside the opening 10 minutes.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbemba-chancel/U5hu6oJh/"]Chancel Mbemba[/a]’s raking cross-field pass found the unmarked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cipenga-brian/KQL5Shet/"]Brian Cipenga[/a], who cut in and lasered an effort in at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pickford-jordan/SKTJdUtH/"]Jordan Pickford[/a]’s near post.[/b][/p][p]England’s response to falling behind was non-existent, but they did almost get the stroke of fortune they so desperately craved when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a]’s delivery ricocheted off an unknowing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konsa-ezri/4CQLQWTa/"]Ezri Konsa[/a], drifting just wide of the target. [/p][image alt="D.R. Congo's opening goal" id="764923a4-b0ff-4fa6-a85b-30c0ac751dc3" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform (photo by IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck)" guid="4323b05d-fbd9-4656-b304-5fa0edadda74" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The hydration break helped Thomas Tuchel’s men regroup, and they created a gilt-edged chance to equalise soon after. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/madueke-chukwunonso/Ac57P9Pt/"]Noni Madueke[/a] got to the byline and put the ball into a dangerous area, allowing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rashford-marcus/COnT2Lh0/"]Marcus Rashford[/a] to fire a low effort at goal, but his strike was cleared off the line by former Manchester United teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wan-bissaka-aaron/faGmGOOh/"]Aaron Wan-Bissaka[/a].[/p][p]Yet for all the positivity England’s 15-minute period of dominance garnered, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wissa-yoane/b35gWzB2/"]Yoane Wissa[/a] almost placed the game beyond them when he crashed a close-range effort against the outside of the post.[/p][p]Thomas Tuchel’s men were left to rue some rotten luck of their own twice before half-time, first when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] felt he’d been felled in the area by the onrushing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mpasi-nzau-lionel/pzX674k0/"]Lionel Mpasi[/a], only for both the referee and VAR to disagree, and secondly when Kane’s thunderous volley at the far post was repelled by the unbeatable Mpasi.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="64268c8d-4232-40bc-9bdc-887f738ab4e3" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="b045eaf9-0faf-4292-9125-7dc698d852b7" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]Chances were now coming thick and fast for Tuchel’s men, and the half-time break didn’t stem their momentum either, with Rashford squandering a glorious opportunity within 10 minutes of the restart when he hammered a left-footed effort into the side netting.[/p][p][b]England pressure could hardly be billed as relentless as time ticked away, but their go-to man popped up with a huge moment 15 minutes from time when Kane guided [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Anthony Gordon[/a]’s cross back across goal and into the far corner.[/b][/p][image alt="England's Harry Kane celebrates scoring their first goal" id="adceb298-fc3a-486e-a237-4f1257e91c2b" credit-line="IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters / Nathan Ray Seebeck" guid="3a436689-8e2e-4b18-a074-6b4e0be8b4f8" original-width="3361" original-height="2293" /][p][b]And it was England’s record World Cup goalscorer who provided the telling moment in the 86th minute, unleashing a rocket into the roof of Mpasi’s net from the edge of the area after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellingham-jude/QNvlPm7s/"]Jude Bellingham[/a] had initially been denied. [/b][/p][p]That goal was ultimately enough to fire the Three Lions into the last 16, where they face a daunting clash with Mexico at the famous Azteca. As for D.R. Congo, a memorable tournament comes to an end with defeat in their first-ever knockout match.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] (England)[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="ab13cf02-7f15-4d02-bb61-c1cfcc087215" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="b7162640-3ac7-4525-94a1-c1374c4a0346" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/d-r-congo-phn9mm8H/england-j9N9ZNFA/summary/stats/?mid=nkoQVAgB"]Catch up on the match stats on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]