England vs Congo DR showed Thomas Tuchel where the real questions are

England beat Congo DR 2-1 in the round-of-32, but the scoreline was not the most useful part of the afternoon. Thomas Tuchel used a 4-2-3-1, started Noni Madueke and left Bukayo Saka on the bench, then gave Djed Spence the right-back role while the Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Elliot Anderson midfield gave England their steadiest base.

Madueke, Saka and the right side

Madueke made the strongest case for keeping his place, and his 7.9 rating was the best of England's starters. He played 61 minutes, which is enough to judge the choice without pretending he settled anything on his own.

Saka staying on the bench was the clearest selection call in the game. Tuchel did not need the usual hierarchy here, and Madueke's performance made that feel like a fair decision rather than a gamble.

Spence is the trickier read. He started at right-back, played 70 minutes and finished with a 6.7 rating. Troy Deeney's concern is obvious enough: going forward he offers more than he does defensively, and deeper into a tournament that can become a real selection problem. The counterpoint is that he also contributed 4 tackles, so this was not a blank performance. It was a mixed one, which is probably the honest verdict.

The midfield looked more settled

If Tuchel leaves the match with one clear structural positive, it is the midfield trio. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham both posted 7.2 ratings, while Elliot Anderson was rated 7.6. That trio looked like England's most stable unit, giving the team control without forcing everything through the wide areas.

Harry Kane was the standout on the day, scoring twice and posting an 8.5 rating. England will still lean on him for the obvious reasons, but the more interesting part of this match was the platform behind him. When Rice, Bellingham and Anderson all look comfortable together, England do not need to stretch the shape just to find balance.

That is the part Tuchel can build on before the next knockout game. Madueke strengthened his case, Spence showed both upside and a few doubts, and the midfield looked ready to stay together when England need control rather than constant reshuffling.