England faces Croatia

We hope you’re ready for some great football because England faces Croatia at the Wembley Stadium in London in a match from Group D of the Euro 2020. We know what you are here for, so let’s preview this fixture in our free soccer predictions that win that is about to follow.

The English side continues to seek its first major trophy since 1966 when they won the World Cup on home soil. The Three Lions have the luck to enjoy a very talented generation, and it’s not a coincidence they reached the World Cup 1/2-finals three years ago. But now England is fired up for something more – for reaching the final and winning it. This would make the whole nation go crazy about it.

Just as expected, Gareth Southgate kept his job as a manager after the solid performance at the World Cup. Although Southgate does not have a rich experience as a coach, he looks like a really good choice for the national team. He knows how to select the right players and give them confidence to perform. And when you have so many talented young players, confidence is really important.

England qualified for the Euro 2020 after winning their qualifying group just as we expected. The Brits won 21 points and finished 6 points ahead of the second Czech Republic. They lost just once in 8 matches played and won the other 7. They scored 37 goals which was an impressive achievement.

England has impressive talent in all areas of the pitch. Harry Maguire and John Stones look like solid partners in the heart of the defense, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, and Luke Shaw usually bring a lot of quality at the flanks. They can defend, but they can also attack when they cross the central line of the pitch.

In midfield, the Three Lions are ready to use the experience of Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson, alongside exciting talents such as Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, and just 17-years old wonderkid Jude Bellingham. At the same time, Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips and West Ham’s Declan Rice are ready to prove why they deserve to play in bigger clubs after the competition.

The England captain Harry Kane should be the main striker in Gareth Southgate’s selection, while Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin is ready to help after the excellent season he had at the Goodison Park. Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka add even more quality to the Three Lions’ attack. As you can see, we are talking about some impressive potential here. Could this be England’s year? Why not.

The Three Lions kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign with three consecutive wins. Gareth Southgate’s team enjoyed wins over San Marino, Albania, and Poland. Nine points from the first three games – that’s how you do business.

In their last game to date, England hosted Poland in a World Cup qualifier and achieved a 2-1 win at the Wembley. John Stones made a stupid mistake that led to Poland’s goal, but England managed to secure the win with goals from Harry Kane and Harry Maguire. In this game, Gareth Southgate used Sterling, Kane, and Foden as attacking trio while Mason Mount, Declan Rice, and Kalvin Phillips played in midfield.

Manchester United’s talent Mason Greenwood is missing the Euro. He was left out from England’s squad by Southgate. It’s the same case with West Ham United’s Jesse Lingard, who was one of the best players in the Premier League in the last few months. Despite his brilliant form, Gareth Southgate chose not to call him for the competition.

Croatia won’t be shy of confidence when arriving at the European Championship. The Blazers reached the final of the World Cup in 2018 and this was the best achievement in their history so far. Now the manager Zlatko Dalic and his talented players are determined to prove to everyone it was not a fluke.

Croatia qualified for the Euro 2020 after winning their qualifying group. The Blazers lost just one of their eight matches and topped the standings with 17 points won – three more than the second Wales. Their performance was not at the best levels at some moments, but what’s more important is that they did the job – they qualified.

In the World Cup qualifiers, Croatia started their campaign with a defeat against Slovenia, but they secured two wins against Cyprus and Malta in the next two games. This is something important about Zlatko Dalic’ team – sometimes the players are not performing at their highest levels, but the team still finds a way to win.

The big difference compared to what happened in 2018 is the retirement of Ivan Rakitic – one of the key players in the Croatian team. The influential midfielders, currently signed to Sevilla, announced in 2020 his decision to stop playing for the national team. At the same time, Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, and Mateo Kovacic are still around, while Milan Badelj and Nikola Vlasic are getting Dalic’ trust as well.

More or less, Zlatko Dalic is relying on the same core of players who finished second in the 2018 World Cup. Another big difference compared to 2018 is the retirement of Mario Mandzukic, too. He’s one of the best Croatian strikers of all time, but age really slowed him down in the last few years. At this moment Zlatko Dalic gives his trust to strikers like Ante Rebic, Andrej Kramaric, Ante Budimir and Bruno Petkovic. Clearly he has enough potential to work with.

That’s our free soccer predictions that win for the Euro 2020 game between England and Croatia at the Wembley. We remind you that these two teams met at the World Cup 2018 1/2-finals as well. That’s when the game ended with a draw, but Croatia scored a late winner in the injury time and reached the final of the competition. Let’s see if now England can offer a proper response. They look like favorites here, but never underestimate the Blazers – they are a top team.