Preview: England vs Croatia
England vs
Croatia
In an eagerly anticipated Euro 2020 opener at Wembley, an unbeaten England will face off against Croatia, with Gareth Southgate's star-studded squad seeking redemption against Zlatko Dalić's talented Checkered Ones, each setting the stage for an intense Group D clash.
England
Unbeaten in their last six games across all international competitions with six wins in a row (WWWWWW), England will arrive after victories over Poland (2-1), Austria (1-0), and most recently, Romania (1-0). During the Romania match, Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin was denied by the crossbar minutes into the game before Jadon Sancho's effort was also kept out by the crossbar.
Aston Villa's Jack Grealish was brought down in the box, allowing Marcus Rashford (68' P.), wearing the captain's armband, to score the only goal from the penalty spot. The Three Lions appeared dominant, and the score could have been 2-0, but Liverpool's Jordan Henderson failed to convert another penalty.
Initially selecting a 33-man squad, England's manager, Gareth Southgate, faced the challenge of trimming his list to the final 26. Eventually, he dropped players like Jesse Lingard, James Ward-Prowse, and Ollie Watkins, while Mason Greenwood opted out to focus on recovering from injury.
The star-studded squad now includes DFB-Pokal winner Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, Champions League winner Mason Mount from Chelsea, and Premier League winner Phil Foden from Manchester City, among others. With this formidable lineup, pressure mounts on Southgate to guide England to the Euro 2020 final.
On Sunday, Southgate is likely to adopt an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation with Harry Kane leading the frontline ahead of an attacking-minded midfield trio. Ben White has been called in to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who sustained an injury in the 1-0 friendly win over Austria.
Croatia
Meanwhile, Croatia lost their last game, an international friendly against Belgium, 0-1. They will be coming into this fixture following three defeats in six games across all international competitions, with a form of LLWWDL.
Before the fixture against Belgium, Croatia picked up a 1-1 draw against Armenia in another international friendly on the 1st of June. Coach Zlatko Dalić, who has been leading Croatia since the 7th of October 2017, has amassed 22 wins, 7 draws, and 14 losses in 43 matches with the national team.
The 54-year-old coach previously managed Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club for a brief period. He will have key players such as Chelsea's Mateo Kovačić, Madrid's Luka Modrić, and AC Milan's Ante Rebić available for selection on Sunday.
The Scudetto title-winning duo, Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozović and Ivan Perišić, will also be available. An attacking 4-3-3 formation is expected when Croatia makes their first Euro 2020 Group D appearance against England.
Ante Rebić, along with Dinamo Zagreb's Bruno Petković and Ivan Perišić, is expected to lead the attack as a trio on Sunday.
