On Thursday 12 November at 19:45 local time, England host Croatia at Wembley Stadium in London in the UEFA Nations League. According to Sports Mole, England need a single point from their fixtures against Croatia and Spain to reach the quarter-finals, while Croatia, third in the group, could face a promotion/relegation play-off. England have 9 points and Croatia 3. England arrive on 3 wins in a row and Croatia on 3 defeats in a row. Croatia also carry the memory of October's 7-0 loss to England.
Where do England and Croatia stand in the Nations League table?
England are second in League A Group 3 with 9 points from 4 games, behind leaders Spain on 12 points. Croatia are third with 3 points, ahead of Czechia on 0 points. England's goal difference stands at +11.
According to Sports Mole, England need a single point from the Croatia and Spain fixtures to reach the quarter-finals. Croatia face a different situation: third place could lead to a promotion/relegation play-off, depending on the third-placed table, Sports Mole reports. England then travel to Spain on 15 November, while Croatia host Czechia that evening.
How have England and Croatia fared in recent fixtures?
England beat France 6-4 in July, then lost 3-2 to Spain in September. England followed that with a 2-0 win over Czechia, before beating Croatia 7-0 and Czechia 3-0 in October. Sports Mole notes that the 3 goals England conceded in the group all came against Spain in September.
Croatia lost 2-1 to Portugal in July and then beat Czechia 2-1. Since then Croatia have lost 4-1 to Spain, 7-0 to England and 2-1 to Spain. Sports Mole points out that Croatia have taken zero points from a possible nine since that win.
Can England extend their winning run against Croatia?
Scorely's own calculation, based on ESPN's recent results, has England on 3 wins in a row and Croatia on 3 defeats in a row before this fixture. Tribal Football reports that England are unbeaten in six against Croatia since the 2018 World Cup semi-final defeat, and Sports Mole says England have won four straight against them.
England have 14 goals scored, 12 assists and 3 goals conceded in the competition. Croatia have 10 goals scored and 17 goals conceded. Harry Kane has 6 goals in 4 matches for England.
Who is missing for England and Croatia at Wembley?
According to Sports Mole, Harry Kane would win his 126th England cap if he plays, passing Shilton's record. Sports Mole also reports that Tuchel has left out Palmer again, Marc Guéhi is absent injured and Lewis-Skelly is suspended after two yellow cards.
Sports Mole reports that Ivan Perisic is suspended after being sent off for two bookings against Spain, although Tribal Football includes him in its Croatia XI. Bilic has lost Sutalo, Pongracic, Kramaric, Ivanovic and Jakic to injury, and Modric, aged 41, captains Croatia and targets his 207th cap.
The numbers at Scorely
| Team | Last 5 |
|---|---|
| England | W 6-4 vs. France, L 3-2 vs. Spain, W 2-0 vs. Czechia, W 7-0 vs. Croatia, W 3-0 vs. Czechia |
| Croatia | L 2-1 vs. Portugal, W 2-1 vs. Czechia, L 4-1 vs. Spain, L 7-0 vs. England, L 2-1 vs. Spain |
| Team | Record |
|---|---|
| England | 3-0-1 |
| Croatia | 1-0-3 |
Data source: ESPN; calculation and table by Scorely.
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