Croatia VS England - Preview & Prediction

England travel to Rijeka on Saturday for another important UEFA Nations League assignment as Thomas Tuchel’s side face Croatia in League A Group 3. With both teams sitting on three points after their opening two matches, the result could have a major influence on the early shape of a group that also contains Spain and Czechia.

England looking to build momentum

England’s Nations League campaign did not begin as planned. The Three Lions opened with a 3-2 home defeat against Spain, but they recovered quickly by beating Czechia 2-0 in Prague. Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane have been central to England’s attack. Both players have scored in each of England’s opening two Nations League matches, giving Tuchel an encouraging source of goals heading into the trip to Croatia.

Tuchel, however, is expecting a difficult evening. Speaking before the match, the England manager said, "They have very, very experienced players on the other side and also a good mix of young players and a new coach. So you know how it is, everyone tries to impress the new coach, everyone is ready to go and give everything for the new coach. I think this is what waits for us. It feels a little bit like a cup game and we will prepare for it carefully."

Croatia searching for a response

Croatia have experienced a similarly mixed beginning to the competition.

They started with a 2-1 victory away to Czechia before travelling to Spain, where they were beaten 4-1. That result leaves Croatia level with England on three points after two matches. Now under Slaven Bilić, Croatia remain a technically accomplished team with considerable international experience. Luka Modrić continues to captain the side, while Bilić's arrival gives this Croatian team a familiar figure at the helm.

A rivalry with plenty of history

England and Croatia have developed a notable international rivalry over the past two decades. Perhaps the most painful meeting from an English perspective remains the 2018 World Cup semifinal. England took an early lead through Kieran Trippier, but Croatia came back to win 2-1 after extra time and reach their first World Cup final.

Only a few months later, the countries met in the inaugural Nations League. Their first match in Rijeka ended 0-0 before England won the return fixture at Wembley. More recently, England defeated Croatia 1-0 at EURO 2020 and then won 4-2 at the 2026 World Cup. Overall, England have recorded 7 victories, Croatia 3, with two draws from their 12 meetings.

Team News

England's defender Nico O'Reilly will miss the game due to an injury, so Lewis Hall is the favorite to replace him in the starting XI. James Trafford started England's first two games, but Thomas Tuchel confirmed that Jordan Pickford will return in between the posts to play the next two games for the Three Lions. Ezri Konsa has recovered and is pushing hard to secure a spot in the starting XI, while Jude Bellingham is likely to return against Croatia.

As for Croatia, Josip Juranovic and Martin Erlic picked up an injury last week and will miss the game. Young defender Luka Vuskovic is a strong candidate to pair up with Man City's Josko Gvardiol.

Possible Lineup for Croatia:

Livakovic; Smolcic, Vuskovic, Gvardiol, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic P. Sucic; Baturina, Beljo, Marco Pasalic

Possible Lineup for England:

Pickford; Trent, Chalobah, Guehi, Hall; Anderson, Garner; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

Prediction: Croatia 1-2 England

England should have enough attacking quality to edge a competitive game in Rijeka. Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon have both started the Nations League campaign strongly. Croatia, however, should not be underestimated, particularly at home, and their experienced midfield could make this a difficult contest. England’s recent 4–2 victory over Croatia at the 2026 World Cup also provides some confidence heading into the match. A close 2–1 England victory looks a reasonable prediction.

Betfair Odds

Croatia: 4.10

Draw: 3.75

England: 1.85

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