How England can continue their good recent form over an ageing Croatia at the World Cup

[p][b][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5azY27lEm1txMGQlRZVHIi?si=OJjIri4DQTaarj0lYNSDug&nd=1&dlsi=a33e3b9065904ff9"]You can now listen to this article via Spotify[/a].[/b][/p][p]The Three Lions were in irresistible form during their qualifying campaign, having not conceded a goal in eight matches, all of which were won, with 22 goals scored in the process.[/p][h2]No losses against Croatia since 2018 WC[/h2][p]They face a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/K8aznggo/"]Croatia[/a] side whom they haven't lost to in their last three meetings in all competitions, though [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] were defeated in extra-time of their 2018 World Cup semi-final.[/p][p]Furthermore, in their last six games, the Croats have scored 11 goals but conceded 10, winning four of those matches and losing the other two.[/p][image alt="England v Croatia - Recent head-to-head results" id="e53f782d-c5aa-4cd8-857a-8b11b827c0bc" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="905e33c8-7098-41b7-8160-1d8ba325a72c" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]In [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a], England have the world's most in-form marksman, and a player who has eight goals in his last two WC tournaments, so Zlatko Dalic must ensure that his defence remains rock solid in their opener, in order to give them the best possible chance of qualifying from Group L.[/p][p]It was the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a] centre-forward who got the decisive goal in a recent friendly against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/rLctHkpU/"]New Zealand[/a], in a performance that left Tuchel needing to answer further questions about his squad after they'd failed to beat both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uruguay/xMk44orG/"]Uruguay[/a] in March, somewhat tempering the excitement from their qualification to the showpiece.[/p][h2]Will Tuchel's squad decisions come back to bite him?[/h2][p]The German, to his credit, has been quite vocal about putting the 'second star on the shirt,' and ending a 60-year wait for England to repeat their 1966 triumph, rather than skirt around the topic.[/p][p]Though they've come relatively close of late, like Croatia, they've always fallen just short of what's required to get them over the line.[/p][embed guid="6f4c4448-719b-43cd-82e0-77d236367420" url="https://x.com/England/status/2067124581434118149" social-type="twitter" /][p]However, if Tuchel's demeanour in press conferences is anything to go by, his side will be giving it absolutely everything in the United States.[/p][p]Were they to fail again, his decision to leave the likes of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/foden-phil/E7XjDJns/"]Phil Foden[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palmer-cole/h8agbDt7/"]Cole Palmer[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alexander-arnold-trent/CEVJy6Bc/"]Trent Alexander-Arnold[/a] at home could come back to bite him.[/p][h2]Croatia have only won one of the last five WC opening games[/h2][p]Not that he or his squad will countenance such an outcome, particularly as they've not lost to a European country since the conclusion of the 2024 European Championship, and have lost just one of their last eight World Cup opening games, winning four and drawing the other three.[/p][p]By contrast, Croatia have won just one of their last five WC opening matches, but it shouldn't be forgotten that they have made it to the semi-final stage of the last two editions of the competition.[/p][embed guid="a0452909-168e-49e4-bb52-455bf0c6d14a" url="https://x.com/HNS_CFF/status/2067082658941727042" social-type="twitter" /][p]An organised, dogged and determined bunch, led by the irrepressible [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/modric-luka/bZWyoJnA/"]Luka Modric[/a], the Vatreni know how to win games, even at the expense of playing in a front-foot, expansive attacking manner.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a]'s fitness remains a concern for the Three Lions, and it's hard to see Tuchel risking the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] man in this one. With [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/livramento-valentino/fkessXOF/"]Tino Livramento[/a] ruled out of the tournament, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a]'s Trevoh Chalobah comes into contention for the right-back slot that's likely to be handed to club and country teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-reece/nLBC7ERa/"]Reece James[/a], in the first instance.[/p][h2]Pace and power likely to be too much for ageing Croats[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Anthony Gordon[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rashford-marcus/COnT2Lh0/"]Marcus Rashford[/a] should get ample opportunities to beat an ageing Croatian back-line, and it's the passage of time that could hamper the Croats efforts to both win this match and go deeper into the tournament.[/p][p]That's because Modric (40), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perisic-ivan/4AbKyVr9/"]Ivan Kramaric[/a] (34), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kovacic-mateo/4f084TL7/"]Mateo Kovacic[/a] (32) and Ivan Perisic (37) will still be looked to to provide some attacking intent and fluidity, but up against the mixture of physicality and pace that the current England crop can provide, it's likely to prove a long evening for them.[/p][embed guid="9aa27569-57d3-4ded-9947-eeea94fb2ecd" url="https://x.com/HNS_CFF/status/2067063965075513594" social-type="twitter" /][p]In what's likely to be the quartet's swansong at international level, however, the chance to prove to everyone that they're not yet over the hill could see them frustrate England for long periods.[/p][p]In fact, it may be [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musa-petar/2JMpq78N/"]Petar Musa[/a] that Croatian hopes rest on in terms of goals. Since the turn of the year, the 28-year-old has scored 12 in 13 matches for MLS outfit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fc-dallas/4GtbI4Q1/"]FC Dallas[/a], and in his current home town, he'll surely relish the chance to give the locals something to shout about.[/p][h2]A back three from Dalic?[/h2][p]If Dalic decides to go for a back three as he did against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a], a five-man midfield could make it difficult for England to move the ball around, but it would offer the opportunity to play the ball over the top for the likes of Gordon/Rashford and Saka/Noni Madueke to run onto.[/p][image alt="England v Croatia - Live win probability" id="aa8cd5a8-9640-47ba-8085-823806ae6834" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="013167c6-1b91-4d5f-8e54-932476954c3c" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]With games to come against both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ghana/nNBjHale/"]Ghana[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/panama/OWKqbCfi/"]Panama[/a], a win in this one will set either nation up for a potential group win and a favourable draw in the knockout stage.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/croatia-K8aznggo/england-j9N9ZNFA/?mid=b5qGuKMs"]Follow the clash with Flashscore[/a][/b].[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]