Croatia 0-0 England: 5 talking points

Concern for Croatian midfield

Croatia v England - UEFA Nations League A

One major reason for Croatia’s success in the World Cup was because of their superb midfield composition, consisting of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mateo Kovacic. All of them were on the field against England. While Modric was in his usual form, Rakitic and Kovacic were largely kept contained by English midfielders.

Gareth Southgate knew what kind of threat Croatian midfield could pose. So he deployed Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier to cut the lines between Rakitic and Modric. Rakitic failed to find his rhythm in the match and poor Kovacic was withdrawn in the second half. Against Spain, they allowed their opponents more space and were mauled. Sadly, England couldn’t capitalize their chances.

To make the situation better, Croatia need to consolidate the midfield and should not allow the opponent to play more on their half. Also, players like Modric and Rakitic should be rested for unimportant matches.