England vs Croatia preview: Southgate's Three Lions out for revenge

Group D: England vs Croatia, kick-off 2pm (UK time, BBC1)

England open their Euro 2020 campaign against Croatia this afternoon with revenge on the cards.

Gareth Southgate’s team head into the tournament as one of the favourites and will kick things off in front of an expectant crowd at Wembley.

The Three Lions are currently on a six-game winning streak, while Croatia have won just two of their last nine outings.

Can England make amends for their World Cup semi-final defeat three summers ago?

Past failures

Believe it or not, England have won 50% of their matches against Croatia. They have romped to big wins in the past, including a 4-2 victory at Euro 2004.

Yet Croatia seem to save their best performances for when it matters most.

Their 3-2 win over England at Wembley in 2007 meant the Three Lions missed out on Euro 2008. 

The lasting memory from that match is Steve McClaren and his umbrella, which resulted in the infamous ‘The wally with the brolly’ headline. 

They also beat England in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, with Ivan Perisic levelling after Kieran Trippier’s early free-kick and Mario Mandzukic netting in extra-time.

Those two wrongs need to be righted.

A statement victory to kick off proceedings in Group D would go some way towards doing that.

Southgate’s selection dilemmas

The England manager made a bold decision to name Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire in his final squad, despite both carrying knocks.

Only Henderson is expected to be fit enough for the Croatia game. 

His return to fitness will no doubt be a boost for what is otherwise an inexperienced midfield. 

But his cameo in the friendly win over Romania was his first appearance since hobbling off in the Merseyside derby back in February.

There is a worry he could break down again if used too quickly. 

Southgate will have to decide whether to give him the nod or save him for Scotland next week. 

An unsettled side

England have one of their most talented squads ever.

They possess multiple world-class talents, an array of match-winners and multiple game-changers.

But there are still question marks over whether Southgate can find the balance needed for them to truly flourish.

In the warm-up games, the manager has chopped and changed, so there has been a real lack of urgency and rhythm.

Due to the involvement of English clubs in European finals at the end of 2020-21, Southgate was not even able to name his best XI in those friendlies — it has been far from ideal preparation.

Making a statement

Croatia, despite making the World Cup final in 2018, are not being tipped by many to make a splash at this tournament.

Their squad is primarily made up of the same players from that successful campaign in Russia but they are all three years older.

The expected back four of Sime Vrsaljko, Borna Barisic, Dejan Lovren and Domagoj Vida have an average age of 30.

Luka Modric, 35, is still the man tasked with pulling the strings for Zlatko Dalic’s side, along with Marcelo Brozovic, 28.

Of those selected, Perisic, 32, is the top scorer with 28 international goals from 101 appearances.

A win against England at Wembley would certainly make many sit up, take note and maybe reassess how they view Croatia.

Another group of death?

On paper, England and Croatia should both progress from Group D and the scoreline in today’s game could largely be irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

Yet England find themselves alongside three of the tournament's dark horses.

Croatia have the talent and the experience to navigate their way deep into the competition, while Scotland will be up for the clash against the Three Lions and could well claim some scalps.

Even the Czech Republic, who beat Southgate's men 2-1 in October 2019, have a squad made up of reliable performers and potential wildcards.

There are no easy fixtures for the Three Lions. As a result, England cannot afford to lose to Croatia if they want to go far this summer.

It is as simple as that.