Croatia vs England: A Midfield Contest with Little Room for Error

Croatia and England arrive at Rijeka with three points apiece after the opening two rounds of UEFA Nations League Group A3, making this meeting an important opportunity to strengthen their position behind Spain. Croatia began with a 2-1 victory over Czechia before losing 4-1 to Spain, while England followed a 3-2 defeat against Spain with a 2-0 victory away to Czechia. The Croatian side will have to cope with defensive absences after Josip Juranović and Martin Erlić were ruled out of the international window through injury. England are also missing several players, including Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Tino Livramento and Nico O’Reilly, who returned to Manchester City for further assessment. The match is being played at Stadion HNK Rijeka under UEFA crowd restrictions, meaning Croatia will not have its normal home support around the pitch. With both sides level on points, the tactical battle in midfield and the ability to manage transitions could have a major influence on how the game develops.

The central question is how Croatia can use Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić to control the tempo while limiting the spaces England can attack around the Croatian midfield line. England have selected a 4-2-3-1 with Alex Scott and Elliot Anderson starting behind Jude Bellingham, while Croatia also use a 4-2-3-1 built around Petar Sučić and Kovačić behind an attacking line featuring Martin Baturina and Franjo Ivanović. That creates a direct tactical mirror, but the roles inside it are different because Modrić can drop deeper to dictate possession and help Croatia progress through pressure. England have the option of using Bellingham between the lines and Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon from wider positions, with Harry Kane providing a reference point at the top of the attack. Croatia’s defensive selection places Luka Vušković alongside Joško Gvardiol, while Ivan Perišić starts from the left side of the back four. The contest may therefore be decided by which team can turn possession into controlled territory without leaving space for the opponent’s forwards to attack quickly.

England’s preparation has centered on managing the short recovery period between the Czechia match and this fixture, with Thomas Tuchel saying that the three-day gap allowed the staff to manage the workload of players such as Elliot Anderson and Anthony Gordon. The England head coach also confirmed that everyone trained on the final session in Rijeka apart from Nico O’Reilly, who had already left camp for treatment. Croatia’s preparation has been complicated by the defensive injuries confirmed before the Nations League campaign, forcing Slaven Bilić to adjust his options and bring additional players into the squad. UEFA’s official match preview has highlighted Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon, who had both scored in England’s first two Nations League matches, while Croatia’s response after the heavy defeat in Seville is one of the principal storylines surrounding the fixture. The Croatian midfield has considerable experience through Modrić and Kovačić, but the younger players around them will be asked to contribute against an England side with considerable attacking movement. The pre-match picture is therefore less about reputation and more about whether Croatia can keep its structure intact when England increase the tempo.

The wider press discussion has focused on Croatia’s response to the Spain defeat, England’s ability to build on the win in Prague, and the unusual setting created by the stadium restrictions in Rijeka. England’s official camp has emphasized concentration and preparation rather than allowing the surroundings to become a distraction, while Croatian coverage has concentrated on Bilić’s return to the national-team role and the defensive problems caused by the absences of Juranović and Erlić. The confirmed lineups reinforce the tactical symmetry, with both teams using a 4-2-3-1 and both relying on a double-pivot structure before the more advanced players. Croatia’s attacking arrangement gives Modrić and Kovačić responsibility for the first phase of progression, while England have Bellingham positioned to connect midfield with Kane and the wide forwards. The match also carries added significance because the teams meet again later in the Nations League schedule, making the points available in Rijeka part of a longer group-stage contest rather than an isolated fixture. Everything points toward a game in which control of the central areas, defensive spacing and the timing of attacking runs will be closely watched from the opening whistle.

🚑 Squad Availability & Injury Report

Croatia

Croatia — Injury Status
Out / Ruled Out	Josip Juranović	Ruled out of the September–October Nations League action through injury
Out / Ruled Out	Martin Erlić	Ruled out of the September–October Nations League action through injury

England

England — Injury Status
Out / Ruled Out	Tino Livramento	Ruled out of the Nations League fixtures after withdrawing through injury
Out / Ruled Out	Kobbie Mainoo	Ruled out of the Nations League fixtures after withdrawing through injury
Out / Ruled Out	Cole Palmer	Ruled out of the Nations League fixtures after withdrawing through injury
Out / Ruled Out	Marcus Rashford	Ruled out of the Nations League fixtures after withdrawing through injury
Out / Ruled Out	Declan Rice	Ruled out of the Nations League fixtures after withdrawing through injury
Out / Ruled Out	Nico O’Reilly	Returned to Manchester City for further assessment and is unavailable

📋 Official Matchday Elevens

Croatia — 4-2-3-1

Croatia — Confirmed Starting XI
Goalkeeper	Dominik Livaković	Goalkeeper
Defender	Josip Stanišić	Right-back
Defender	Luka Vušković	Centre-back
Defender	Joško Gvardiol	Centre-back
Defender	Ivan Perišić	Left-back
Midfielder	Petar Sučić	Central midfield
Midfielder	Mateo Kovačić	Central midfield
Attacking midfielder	Martin Baturina	Attacking midfield
Attacking midfielder	Franjo Ivanović	Advanced attacking role
Attacking midfielder	Luka Modrić	Advanced midfield role
Forward	Petar Musa	Centre-forward

England — 4-2-3-1

England — Confirmed Starting XI
Goalkeeper	Jordan Pickford	Goalkeeper
Defender	Jarell Quansah	Right-back
Defender	Ezri Konsa	Centre-back
Defender	Marc Guéhi	Centre-back
Defender	Lewis Hall	Left-back
Midfielder	Alex Scott	Central midfield
Midfielder	Elliot Anderson	Central midfield
Attacking midfielder	Bukayo Saka	Right attacking role
Attacking midfielder	Jude Bellingham	Attacking midfield
Attacking midfielder	Anthony Gordon	Left attacking role
Forward	Harry Kane	Centre-forward

⭐ Key Personnel and Match Points

• Luka Modrić: Croatia’s experienced midfield reference and a key figure in controlling the rhythm of possession.
• Mateo Kovačić: important to Croatia’s ability to progress the ball and connect the defensive and attacking phases.
• Jude Bellingham: England’s advanced midfield presence, operating behind Harry Kane in the confirmed 4-2-3-1.
• Harry Kane: England’s central attacking reference and captain, supported by Saka and Gordon from the wider attacking positions.
• Luka Vušković and Joško Gvardiol: the Croatian centre-back pairing tasked with protecting the central channel against England’s attacking movement.
• Alex Scott and Elliot Anderson: the England midfield pairing selected to provide the platform for Bellingham and the attacking trio.

📰 What the Press Is Saying Before Kickoff

The pre-match coverage has largely centered on Croatia’s response after the defeat in Seville, England’s attempt to follow the Czechia victory with another strong performance, and the unusual atmosphere created by the UEFA crowd restrictions in Rijeka. UEFA’s own Matchday 3 preview identifies Kane and Gordon as England players to watch after both scored in the opening two fixtures. England’s official coverage has focused on Tuchel’s demand for concentration and his comments about managing player workloads during the short turnaround. Croatian federation coverage has highlighted the defensive absences of Juranović and Erlić and the changes required in Bilić’s squad. The confirmed lineups have now turned much of the pre-match discussion toward the tactical battle between two 4-2-3-1 systems.

Information checked against the Croatian Football Federation, England Football, UEFA and current match-lineup reporting available for the fixture. No result or match-event information is included.

⚽Full Match English
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