The Croatian national team visit England at Wembley on Thursday at 20:45 in the fifth round of the Nations League. The side managed by Slaven Bilić will attempt to end a run of three consecutive defeats.
Croatia and England have already met twice this year, with both matches ending in victories for the English. At the World Cup, England won 4:2, while in early October in Rijeka, they secured a 0:7 win in the Nations League. It was the heaviest defeat in the history of the Croatian team, and Croatia subsequently lost to Spain as well.
Midfielder Mateo Kovačić told a press conference in London that he feels well and is fit, but that he lacks minutes. He said that what happened at Rujevica was a blackout for Croatia and that it must not be repeated. He recalled that three days later in Split, they showed they could perform, where Croatia lost 1:2 to Spain. Kovačić demands that the national team play firmly and aggressively from the first minute and maintain concentration for all 90 minutes. In that match, he assessed, there was a lack of aggression and proximity to the opposing players, while he left the tactical discussion to the manager.
Kovačić has spent the majority of his career in the English Premier League, playing for Chelsea and Manchester City. With Chelsea, he won the Champions League in 2021, and with Manchester City, he became the English champion in 2024. He has played for English clubs for the last eight years, first at Chelsea, and since 2023 at Manchester City. England manager Thomas Tuchel coached him at Chelsea, and Kovačić said he was pleased that Tuchel publicly praised him and that he had made the most progress under him.
England are led by Thomas Tuchel, and Kovačić described the opponents as firmer, more aggressive and more lethal than before. In his assessment, England belong among the three best national teams in the world. Kovačić congratulated Harry Kane on winning the Ballon d’Or and said that Kane is a phenomenal player and one of the best strikers in Europe for years. He added that every match is full throttle, but that Croatia against the English were not at their best and were not going full throttle.
Croatia arrive at Wembley with three consecutive defeats. After an initial 2:1 win against the Czech Republic in Prague, they lost to Spain 1:4, then to England 0:7, and again to Spain 1:2. After the visit to London, Croatia will play their final Nations League group match on Sunday, 15 November.
