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It was an enthralling encounter between the two sides on the night as the final group stage match's result was crucial for either nation's hope for qualifying to the next round.
It was England who came out on top against the World Cup finalists on the night and topped the group.
England started the game brighter of the two sides, and completely dominated proceedings for the first 20 minutes of the game.
Wave after wave of attack was turned away by the resilient Croatian defence as Gareth Southgate's men lacked the clinical edge to separate them from the travelling team.
Sime Vrsaljko was taken off at the 26th minute due to injury, adding to Croatia's woes, who were already without key players Ivan Rakitic, Mateo Kovacic and Daniel Subasic amongst others who could not take part on the night.
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England was dominant throughout the first half and Croatia could do nothing but sit deep and defend, hoping to spring on the counter. They were fortunate to go to halftime with no goals conceded, as Kalinic was forced into several saves.
The Croats grew into the second half, and looked more dangerous on the break, as Andrej's Kramaric's deflected shot went past the sprawling Jordan Pickford to open the scoring for the game.
England responded by taking off Ross Barkley for Dele Alli, and later Fabian Delph and Marcus Rashford for Jesse Lingard and Jadon Sancho respectively.
The former levelled the scoreline five minutes after coming off through the easiest tap in, as a long throw from Kyle Walker into the box caused panic amongst the visitor's defence, allowing Lingard to score the easiest goal of his career as he tapped in from half a yard.
He later cleared the ball off the line as Damagoj Vida put a stronger header in from a perfect corner by Luka Modric, continuing his hot streak for his country, as he was also the match-winner against the USA in Wayne Rooney's final appearance.
Harry Kane poked in a beautiful cross from a Harry Chilwell set piece to give England the lead after going down, and Croatia from being top of the group was now relegated into League B. Here are the talking points from the game.
#1 England was the deserved winner on the night, despite the scrap
England was simply quite brilliant on the night, just lacking that cohesion and clinical edge in the final third that could've really made Croatia suffer for the lack of intensity on the night.
Croatia was quite solid defensively up to a point but played a very conservative game after going a goal up, trying to sit deep and invite pressure, which proved to be their downfall.
They missed a brilliant opportunity to go two up a few minutes after scoring, as Marcelo Brozovic hit his effort wayward from the goal.
Lingard equalised scores a few moments later, and England relegated Croatia to League B by getting a deserved victory and three points on the night.
#2 Luka Modric looked isolated
Luka Modric is arguably the best midfielder on the planet right now and has been for the better part of the last four years.
He is a player who has the ability to turn any game on its head by one moment of genius that separates him from the rest, and it's moments like these his side were desperately looking for him to create.
But except for his set-piece delivery to Vida, he failed to turn up and show his A game and lead his nation through to the next round of the competition.
Modric looked a little outmanned in the midfield battle, as he was being marked very heavily by Eric Dier and whoever else could come in and help.
Ross Barkley even got in the book near the hour mark for taking down the onrushing Croat, who looked to free Perisic but was taken out before he could make that pass.
Part of his isolation was lack of any real attacking threat from other midfielders, and England's sustained pressure, as Modric made three last-ditch clearances on the night.
Ivan Rakitic and/or Mateo Kovacic's presence could have really tipped the scales a bit more evenly, but that wasn't to be the case as both men were out for the game.
#3 Rashford needs more minutes in Manchester to kick-start his career
Marcus Rashford has been around for quite a while now, breaking out under Louis van Gaal in early 2016.
He was the hottest sensation in English football, and one of the top young players across the World in his breakout season.
He's trailed off from that tag quite considerably since mid- last season, failing to get too many starts for his club, and his rustiness shows every time he takes the pitch, as his searing pace allows him to create chances, but he's failing to finish them in the required manner.
He looked vibrant on the night with the ball at his feet, and he always looked a threat but failed to cause any real headaches as most of his passes and shots were blocked and cleared away.
He looks to be too eager to impress, taking too much upon himself and trying the audacious instead of trying to do the simple thing and pass to the teammate.
Rashford really needs more regular minutes under his belt to get back to being one of the most exciting young players in Football.
#4 Croatia really need a Mandzukic replacement
Mario Mandzukic is one of the most dedicated, hardworking and tactically astute attackers in World Football. He never seems to run out of batteries and leaves his heart and soul everytime he steps out on the pitch.
He was the focal point for Croatia's attack for more than half a decade now, and his retirement after the World Cup final heartbreak has been causing quite the headaches for his international teammates and coach Zlatko Dalic, who has had a torrid time trying to replace the irreplaceable Juventus attacker.
Andre Kramaric has done an okay job of filling in for him so far, but cannot contribute to games the same way the 32-year-old did, as Kramaric doesn't possess the work rate or the tactical nous that his senior possessed.
Mandzukic is a one of a kind player, and his presence has been sorely missed up top by his nation, who just haven't looked as dangerous as they used to in attack.
They also lost their first line of defence, as the former Munich man was often the first one to start pressing the opposition as soon as his side loses possession. Come back Mario..
#5 England's future is in good hands
England's squad is filled to the brim with players who are in their prime or close to entering it, as their starting eleven looks one of the most complete national sides in the World.
Sure, there are naysayers who believe that England, despite all their big name presences is never gonna win anything meaningful, but this squad is the closest thing to an assurance that they are on the road to finally bringing some footballing success to their nation.
Players like Jordan Pickford, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Eric Dier, Jadon Sancho are among a few who look to be certain future heavyweights, and the squad is gelling together quite brilliantly under Gareth Southgate's charge.
He seems to be the perfect man to lead England to glory, having tried and failed on various occasions as a player himself.
The future looks very bright indeed, as England's squad consists of all outfield players under the age of 29, with the oldest players being Kyle Walker and Fabian Delph, who are both 28 years of age.
The future looks very bright for England, and this squad looks certain to be a key challenger for the upcoming Euros and the next World Cup.
