England know a win against Croatia on Sunday would see them claim top spot in UEFA Nations League A Group 4, but the Three Lions will also finish bottom with a defeat against the World Cup runners-up.
Gareth Southgate’s men will be hoping to follow on from their comfortable 3-0 victory against USA on Thursday, when goals from Jesse Lingard, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Callum Wilson delivered the win on what was Wayne Rooney's 120th, and final, cap.
Croatia, on the other hand, kept alive their Nations League hopes on the same night with a memorable 3-2 victory against Spain . The Croats were twice pegged back in Zagreb before defender Tin Jedvaj scored a late header to overcome the former world champions.
Wembley last played host to this fixture in 2009, when two goals each from Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, and a solitary strike from Wayne Rooney meant England won 5-1, and secured their place at the 2010 World Cup.
Revenge may well be on the minds of the Three Lions, however, following their World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia in Russia in July 2018.
| Game | England v Croatia |
| Date | Sunday, November 18th |
| Time | 2pm BST/9am ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| ESPN3/Univision Deportes | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on TV on Sky Sports Main Event and can be streamed online via the Sky Go app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Main Event | Sky Go |
Squads & Team News
| Position | England squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Butland, Pickford, McCarthy, Bettinelli |
| Defenders | Stones, Walker, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Dunk, Chilwell, Shaw, Keane |
| Midfielders | Delph, Dier, Henderson, Winks, Barkley, Alli, Lingard, Loftus-Cheek |
| Forwards | Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling, Wilson |
Harry Maguire, Kieran Trippier, James Maddison and Danny Welbeck are all missing through injury, as are long-term absentees Nick Pope and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Gareth Southgate experimented with his XI against the USA, but on Sunday he has reverted to a more tried and tested side.
England XI: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Gomez, Chilwell, Delph, Barkley, Dier, Sterling, Kane, Rashford.
| Position | Croatia players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Kalinic, Livakovic, Letica |
| Defenders | Vida, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Jedvaj, Mitrovic, Milic, Caleta-Car |
| Midfielders | Modric, Kovacic, Badelj, Brozovic, Rog, Pasalic, Bradaric |
| Forwards | Perisic, Kramaric, Rebic, Pjaca, Brekalo |
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic will miss the trip to Wembley after being taken off in the victory against Spain earlier in the week.
Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic could make his 50th international appearance off the bench.
Croatia XI: Kalinic, Vida, Vrsaljko, Lovren, Jedvaj, Modric, Brozovic, Vlasic, Rebic, Perisic, Kramaric
Betting & Match Odds
England are favourites ahead of the game, with bet365 offering odds of 17/20 on a home win. Croatia can be backed at a price of 10/3, while a draw is 29/10.
Match Preview
Getty Images
This is arguably one of England’s biggest games at the new Wembley, and certainly one with the most complicated potential eventualities.
A win for either side will confirm their place at the final four tournament in 2019, while defeat will mean relegation to League B.
A draw would result in Spain winning the group and England and Croatia contesting the bottom spots. In that case, a goalless tie would see Croatia relegated, but a score draw means England would finish last due to the nations’ head-to-head record.
The game also gives the Three Lions the opportunity to exact revenge for last summer’s World Cup semi-final defeat against Zlatko Dalic’s side.
"We were very keen that we moved on from the World Cup as quickly as possible,” said Southgate . "It’s been a brilliant year. Whatever happens on Sunday, we've had real shoots of progress and achieved some outstanding results and really good performances and blooded a lot of new players."
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