England vs Croatia Preview: How to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
![England vs Croatia Preview: How to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News England vs Croatia Preview: How to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTY4MDI3MjU4NTEwOTc2Mjcz/croatia-v-england-uefa-nations-league-a-5bef0345605172efd2000001jpg.jpg)
Second-placed England host third-placed Croatia in the concluding UEFA Nations League match at Wembley on Sunday, hoping to top Group A4 and qualify for the inaugural finals of the competition.
The Three Lions were defeated on match day one against Spain, but are unbeaten in their last two Nations League games, following a goalless stalemate with the Croats and a 3-2 victory against the Spaniards.
![england-v-united-states-international-friendly-5bef01ba9fccba14b9000001.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTY4MDI3MjU4NTA5NzMxMDg5/england-v-united-states-international-friendly-5bef01ba9fccba14b9000001jpg.jpg)
The Croats triumphed 3-2 against Spain on Thursday to keep their Nations League hopes alive and a victory for the Blazers, who are level on points with England, would mean they would secure top spot.
It's a winner takes all encounter, with the losing side facing relegation into League B.
Check out 90min's preview for Sunday's encounter below.
How to Watch
When Is Kick Off? | Sunday 18 November |
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What Time Is Kick Off? | 14:00 (GMT) |
Where Is it Played? | Wembley Stadium |
TV Channel/Live Stream? | Sky Sports Football |
Referee? | Tasos Sidiropoulos |
Team News
Joe Gomez didn't feature in the Three Lions' victory against the USA as a result of a minor injury, but should be fit for the crucial encounter.
![fbl-eur-nations-cro-esp-5befe3579fccba466e00000a.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTY4MDI3MjU4NTA5NTM0NDgx/fbl-eur-nations-cro-esp-5befe3579fccba466e00000ajpg.jpg)
Ivan Rakitić is set to miss the encounter after picking up a hamstring injury in the match against Spain.
Rakitić's teammate Josip Pivarić missed the victory against the Spaniards through injury, while his replacement Tin Jedvaj netted a brace and should deputise again on Sunday.
Predicted Lineups
England | Pickford; Walker, Stones, Gomez; Shaw; Henderson, Dier, Barkley; Sterling, Kane, Rashford. |
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Croatia | Kalinić; Vrsaljko, Lovren, Vida, Jedvaj; Brozović, Kovačić; Perišić, Modrić, Rebić; Kramarić. |
Head to Head Record
England have the better record going into Sunday's match. They have won four of their nine matches in all competitions, with the Vatreni triumphing on three occasions.
Both sides have won three competitive matches each against each other, the most recent victory for either side came in the World Cup semi-finals, when the Croats defeated England 2-1 in extra time.
![FBL-WC-2018-MATCH62-CRO-ENG](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTY4MDI3MjU4MjQyOTk5NTY5/franck-fifegettyimages.jpg)
There have also been two draws between the two sides (both goalless), including the first Nations League encounter between the two sides) and a 1996 international friendly.
Recent Form
Gareth Southgate's men are unbeaten in three matches in all competitions since their defeat on match day one to Spain, keeping two clean sheets in the process, including a 1-0 victory against Switzerland and the draw with the Croatians.
Meanwhile, the Croats have won just twice since the victory against England at the World Cup. They defeated Jordan 2-1 in an international friendly back in October, before Thursday's victory against Spain.
![fbl-eur-nations-cro-esp-5bef02136051722534000001.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTY4MDI3MjU4NTEzNzI4Nzg1/fbl-eur-nations-cro-esp-5bef02136051722534000001jpg.jpg)
Here's how each team has performed in their last five fixtures:
England | Croatia |
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England 3-0 USA (15/11) | Croatia 3-2 Spain (15/11) |
Spain 2-3 England (15/10) | Croatia 2-1 Jordan (15/10) |
Croatia 0-0 England (12/10) | Croatia 0-0 England (12/10) |
England 1-0 Switzerland (11/9) | Spain 6-0 Croatia (11/9) |
England 1-2 Spain (8/9) | Portugal 1-1 Croatia (6/9) |
Prediction
England come into the game on the back of an impressive win against the United States and should have enough confidence to get a result against Croatia.
The Croats managed to get a good result against the Spaniards and could condemn the Three Lions to relegation with a win at Wembley. However, they have lost a few of their star players from the World Cup - including keeper Danijel Subašić, Vedran Ćorluka and Mario Mandžukić, who all retired after the competition, and the side haven't looked the same since.
![topshot-fbl-wc-2018-match62-cro-eng-5bec492edcc8c0b334000001.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTY4MDI3MjU4NTEyODc2ODE3/topshot-fbl-wc-2018-match62-cro-eng-5bec492edcc8c0b334000001jpg.jpg)
Despite Croatia going unbeaten in their last two games against the Three Lions, neither side has managed to go more than two games without defeat to the other since the turn of the century, which serves Southgate's side with a good omen.
Prediction: England 2-1 Croatia