David Hytner was at Wembley tonight. Here’s his verdict. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Related: Harry Kane spot on to seal England win over Croatia on his record-breaking night
Morgan Rogers has a few lovely words for his captain (via ITV). “[Harry Kane] scores a goal as he always does … not much is new! … a lovely night for him … a lovely moment for him and his family … for us to be on the pitch with him is a special honour … he's relentless … keeps his work ethic … keeps his focus … that’s why he’s the Ballon d’Or winner … he doesn’t get there by accident.”
Thomas Tuchel speaks to ITV. “A good win … we wanted this win desperately … we deserved it … it was hard work … a good opponent … it took us a while to grow into the game but after 15 minutes we did OK … got the goal … got better … more confident … good actions, good chances, good half-chances … we forgot to score the third one … we created enough … the end can always then become difficult … but we got the job done … it was important because it was a special occasion for Harry and he scored the winner so a perfect evening … everything will be different [against Spain on Sunday] … a completely different scenario and set-up … but I am very positive that we get what we want.”
Post-match postbag. “From seven-nil to this?! Has Thomas Tuchel taken England as far as he can?!” – Peter Oh
“Richard Hirst (68min) believes Johnny Haynes was that good? Haynes had an uncommon ability to play the wrong pass, or the right pass a second too late with unerring accuracy. The sort of player who made himself look good by making his teammates look bad. Little wonder Alf Ramsey never bothered with him” – Geoff Wignall
“My cousin who is at the stadium sent this picture. What an amazing experience it must have been” – krishnamoorthy v
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Harry Kane speaks to ITV. “Obviously an incredible gesture and reception at the start of the game … once the game starts it’s just about getting the win and three points … we played against a tough team who wanted to prove something tonight … a really good win … it sets up a great game on Sunday … I missed my last [penalty] for Bayern so it’s always important to bounce back with the next one … try not to miss two in a row … practice … execute … we gave away too many easy balls … we can’t expect everything to be perfect … after the first game [against Spain] we knew we left a little bit out there … it’s the perfect opportunity on Sunday to try and prove ourselves.”
England beat Croatia for the third time this calendar year, and rubber-stamp their place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League. It was almost certainly the least authoritative display of the triptych, but they got the job done. And Harry Kane got to celebrate his record-breaking 126th cap with his 92nd international goal. Now they’ll travel to Spain – who won 2-0 in the Czech Republic tonight, Marc Pubill scoring deep into injury time to add to Álex Baena’s first-half penalty – for a Sunday showdown to decide Group A3. Spain will only need a draw, but if England win they’ll go level on points with the world and European champions, and level the head to head. Which would mean England would top the group on goal difference. In other words: it’s on!
1. Spain P5 GD+9 Pts 15
2. England P5 GD+12 Pts 12
3. Croatia P5 GD-11 Pts 3
4. Czechia P5 GD-10 Pts 0
FULL TIME: England 2-1 Croatia
Another cap, another goal, another winner for Harry Kane.
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90 min +4: Garner rolls in from the left for Rogers, who takes a touch to make space and tee himself up on the edge of the Croatia D … only to lean back and convert, rugby style. Miles over.
90 min +2: Modrić dinks a ball down the right for Baturina to win a corner off Burn. At the set piece, the ball drops to Budimir, four yards out at the far post. He has to score, surely, but sends his header over the bar. A huge chance for Croatia.
90 min: Another sub for Croatia as Majer comes on for Kovačić. Majer will get four additional minutes’ worth of action.
89 min: Burn up the other end now, wresting at a corner with Pašalić, firstly to win a second corner, then rising above everyone to skim a header over the bar from close range! Not sure how the scoreline has remained 2-1 after the last few minutes of bedlam.
87 min: So nearly 3-1 … and then so nearly 2-2! Budimir, bursting into the England box down the right, has his shot deflected wide by Quansah’s fine lunge. From the corner, there’s some pinball, the ball spinning up off Burn but not quite falling for Gvardiol, six yards out. Then the whistle goes for some shoving. England breathe again, seconds after Croatia breathed again!
86 min: Gvardiol and Vlašić faff around down the England right. Rogers sticks out a leg to release Bellingham, who cuts back for Garner to slam home with authority. But the flag goes up correctly for offside.
84 min: Croatia are beginning to string a few things together, and England are struggling to get out of their final third. Modrić involved in such a lot of it, to nobody’s surprise.
82 min: Modric finds Vlašić by the right-hand side of the England D. Burn tugs away at Vlašić, operating on the very edge of legality. One more tug, and the referee would surely take action, but play continues and Vlašić, knocked off his equilibrium, eventually pulls a shot wide right.
81 min: The usual post-tranche-of-changes slump.
79 min: In the middle of that slew of substitutions, Croatia worked a half chance from a free kick for Budimir, who flapped at a header from six yards. Straight at Pickford in the soft style.
78 min: England respond with a triple change, removing Alexander-Arnold, Gordon and Rice and sending on Ngumoha, Garner and – still copping for a few boos – White. Bit early for pantomime season? It would seem not.
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76 min: Croatia remove Smolčić and Mišić, sending on Modrić and Pašalić. Modrić wins his 207th cap, and receives a very warm welcome from both sets of fans as he comes on. Wembley doffing its collective cap to a great master.
74 min: … so having said that, Baturina makes good down the right and looks for Budimir with a diagonal. Budimir should burst through a gap down the inside-left, but the ball clunks off his shin and out for a goal kick.
73 min: England play keepball, and the clock ticks on. They’re looking comfortable.
71 min: Croatia make the first changes, replacing Sučić and Matanović with Budimir and Pašalić. When the game restarts, Gordon crosses from the left for Kane, who is penalised for getting too aggressive with his climb over Gvardiol.
69 min: England don’t deal with a ball bouncing into their box from the left. The ball makes it all the way through to Sučić, in space to the right. Sučić shoots low and hard, towards the bottom right, but Pickford handles well.
68 min: Of course, the closeness of this match means Thomas Tuchel can’t get fancy with his substitutions. He wants to see out the win. All of which may disappoint Richard Hirst: “Can’t wait to see Josh King make his England debut, either tonight or very soon. He’s going to develop into the best England 10 (role, not shirt number, to preempt any pedantry) since Johnny Haynes. What a coincidence that they both come from the same club.”
66 min: By the way, Smolčić was booked for his role in giving away that needless penalty. Slaven Bilic will be fuming.
65 min: Well, that was a quickfire exchange of gifts. Can’t everyone wait for Christmas?
GOAL! England 2-1 Croatia (Kane 64 pen)
Kane performs a little shuffle before waiting for the keeper to move and lashing the ball down the middle. That’s his 92nd goal for the Three Lions. Ninety-two goals! Wayne Rooney, in second spot, chalked up 52.
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Penalty for England!
63 min: VAR asks the on-field whistler to come over to the screen. Smolčić had a good old grab at Quansah’s arm, and only let go of the shirt when the England man was about to fall over. It’s got to be given. And it is.
61 min: England respond through Alexander-Arnold, who loops into the Croatia box, forcing Stanišić into deflecting the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner, Quansah, desperate to atone, competes with Smolčić, who has a hold of his shirt. Quansah goes over. He wants a penalty. The on-field referee says no, but VAR will take a look.
GOAL! England 1-1 Croatia (Sučić 59)
Croatia win a corner down the right. The ball’s sent into a crowded mixer. It drops to Quansah, who tries to head back to his keeper. Bad idea. The ball drops to Sučić, four yards out. Sučić swivels and hooks into the top left. Pickford had no chance, the nearby Kane stands and fumes. What on earth was Quansah doing?
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58 min: Elliot Anderson played for Scotland at U16, U17, U18 and U21 levels. Chalk up another resounding success for the SFA!
56 min: Anderson, surrounded by blue shirts on the right, wriggles free with some outrageous ball-glued-to-toe skill. He spots the keeper miles off his line, so has a go from halfway … only to shank a dreadful effort miles wide and short. Fair play for giving it a go, because had that gone in, the lead-up would have ensured all-timer status.
55 min: Better from Gordon as he sashays in from the left and whip-curls a shot inches wide of the bottom right. A decent effort.
54 min: Rogers crosses low from the right. Gordon nips in to take control, and feels Mišić leaning on his back. He goes over, but doesn’t get the penalty he wants. The loose ball rebounds to Bellingham, who scuffs a low drive straight at Livaković. Easy for the keeper.
52 min: … nothing happens. Should Rice have taken the shot himself? He’d have been within his rights. But what do you do when Harry Kane is in your periphery? Defer, is what.
51 min: Rice might not be the most elegant dribbler, but he knows how to time a run into the box. He chases Rogers’ ball down the inside-right channel and pulls it back for Kane … who wouldn’t have missed from six yards, but Stanišić deflects out for a corner, from which …
49 min: Gordon cuts in from the left and aims a curler towards the top right. Nowhere near.
47 min: Rice has the opportunity to break into acres of space down the right. He races gamely, if ungainly, clanking the ball a couple of times down the wing before an even heavier touch allows Stanišić to come across and take it away. If Rice’s run had been set to music, it would have been set to the opening few bars of this …
England get the second half started. No changes, so here’s Justin Kavanagh: “Say what you want about Emlyn Hughes, he must have brought a lot to traveling England squads in terms of the bus quizzes.”
Half-time entertainment. Today’s mid-match distraction runs only on the Commodore 64.
HALF TIME: England 1-0 Croatia
There’s not been much to write home about. Like England will care. They’re leading, and now just 45 minutes away from officially booking their place in the Nations League quarter-finals.
45 min: There will be the sum total of zero additional first-half minutes.
44 min: Kovačić wins a corner off Rice down the left. A lot of blue shirts trot into the box. Kovačić takes it himself, and the ball bounces a couple of times in a crowded box before Hall belts it clear. England a wee bit fortunate that somehow evaded all of those aforementioned blue shirts, because that was a bit random.
42 min: Baturina finds a little time on the left for a shot. More easy work for Pickford. Meanwhile in the other Group A3 match, world and European champions Spain have taken the lead in Czechia. Alex Baena with a 39th-minute penalty.
40 min: Some bagatelle on the edge of the Croatia box. The ball breaks back to Alexander-Arnold, who fizzes a rising shot over the bar. Not too far away. That would have been one for the showreel had it hit the net.
39 min: More patient nonsense. “If Emlyn Hughes played in ‘all’ those years, that surely means from 1960 to 1989, he said, pedantically,” says Richard Hirst, pedantically. “That’s a longer international career than even Modric.” Pedants read the Guardian? Some breaking news, right there.
37 min: England play some patient stuff in the middle of the park. Thomas Tuchel will be happier to watch this state of affairs than the controller of ITV1.
35 min: A Croatia free kick out on the left. It’s floated towards Baturina, but Anderson is there to clear. Pickford hasn’t had a serious save to make yet. England counter, Rogers finding Bellingham in the box with a sliderule down the right. Bellingham spins and shoots first time, but there’s no power in this shot either, and Croatia clear their lines.
33 min: Kovačić looks for the top right from 25 yards. No real power, not enough curl. Easy for Pickford. Meanwhile here’s some much-needed good news for those interested in preserving the legacy of poor old Crazy Horse: “On the plus side,” begins Philip Cornwall, “Emlyn Hughes was the only man to play football for England in all of the 60s, 70s and 80s.”
31 min: Some Newcastle-flavoured fun as Hall’s long-distance drive is deflected out for a corner, from which Burn batters a headers goalwards. It’s blocked, and perhaps had the ball gone in, Burn would have been penalised for climbing fairly obviously on the back of Mišić. But play goes on, so we’ll never know for sure.
29 min: Croatia had started confidently, but after conceding that scrappy goal, passes aren’t sticking any more. Vlašić tries to control a cross coming in from the left, but loses the flight, spins around, and the ball hits him on the back and out for a throw. All a bit too slapstick for Slaven Bilic’s liking; the Croatia coach stands on the touchline in a mild huff.
27 min: Hall sends a free kick into the Croatian mixer from the left. Quansah rises highest at the far stick, but it’s an easy, looping claim for Livaković.
26 min: Poor Livaković, who had initially gone the wrong way, scrambled to get back towards that, but Rogers, kicking the ball straight down into the turf, had sent it springing back up on a weird arc that ensured the keeper couldn’t claw it out. Croatia will feel sick after starting the game pretty well.
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GOAL! England 1-0 Croatia (Rogers 24)
Kane pings another long diagonal. This time left to right for Bellingham, just to the side of the six-yard box. Bellingham cushions it instantly into the centre. The ball goes through the flapping Gvardiol’s legs. Rogers sticks out a leg and bundles the ball into the bottom right … down and up again so slowly … but the bounce is just high enough to takes it into the net, almost apologetically so, over Livaković’s flapping hand.
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23 min: Croatia probe down the left. No way through. The ball’s cut back for Mišić, who obviously loses patience with the careful examination and drags a weak shot miles left. Pickford wanders across to see it out, no need to panic about that.
21 min: The pace drops a bit, and the game turns shapeless. A lot of middle-of-park nonsense I won’t bother you with.
19 min: The period of play after that rebound ends up with England winning their first corner of the evening. Rice sends it in from the right. Matanović powers a header clear. Alexander-Arnold, deep on the left, floats a diagonal towards Rogers, who tries to tee up Kane with a cutback from the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. Stanišić is on point to hoick clear. England have finally turned up.
18 min: Bellingham’s cross from the right is only half cleared. Alexander-Arnold shapes like Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final, pearling a drive that’s bravely blocked by Mišić.
16 min: Gordon and Hall combine well down the left. Rice rolls a cute pass infield for Anderson, who leans back and sends a shot from the edge of the box well over the bar. A corner’s awarded, then snatched back from under England’s nose by VAR.
15 min: … so having said that, Croatia launch another attack. A simple long ball down the middle nearly does for the centre-back pairing of Quansah and Burn, but when the ball ends up at the feet of Sučić, with space to advance into down the left, the Croatia man hesitates and the opportunity is gone.
13 min: England take their turn to stroke the ball around. Their first opportunity of the evening. It firmly puts a stop to Croatia’s early gallop.
11 min: Kane drops deep and finds Hall on the left with a raking long diagonal. Hall’s cross is no good, but what a pass. You think how good Kane is already; imagine what he’s going to be like when he finally enters the autumnal quarterback phase of his career!
9 min: Croatia continue to hog the ball. They’ve done a good job of quietening the Wembley crowd. It’s their fans making most of the noise. Meanwhile more Emlyn Hughes-infused tutting, this time from our man Philip Cornwall: “Hughes was also in the 1980 Euros squad, but again didn’t play.” I bet Roger Kirkby wishes he never mentioned it now.
7 min: Vušković is nearly closed down in his own box by a pincer movement launched by Rogers and Gordon. He shuffles his way out of danger elegantly.
6 min: … again nothing. But this is a really confident start from Croatia, and a reminder that they’re in serious reputation-salvaging mode tonight after England inflicted that record seven-goal defeat on them at home.
5 min: … nothing much happens. England win a throw. But then the ball’s played back to Pickford, who attempts to drop a shoulder around Matanović, and is fairly lucky the ball only rebounds out for another corner. From which …
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4 min: Vlašić drives hard down the left and wins the evening’s first corner of the evening off Alexander-Arnold. From which …
2 min: Croatia continue to hog the ball during the early exchanges. “Emlyn Hughes did go to a World Cup, in 1970,” tut-tuts Paul Fields. “He just didn’t win a cap there. He was an unused squad member.”
Croatia get the ball rolling. They’re off to a fast (ish) start, Sučić robbing Hall down the right and cutting back for Kovačić, who sends the ball sky high. Goal kick.
The teams are out! England are in their first-choice white, forcing Croatia out of their famous red-and-white checks and into their alternative kit of blue. A large tifo in the stand to celebrate “England’s finest: Kane 126”. Kane has four special mascots with him: his four children, all with England tops and “Kane 126” on their back. Kane first lifts his Ballon d’Or, then receives a gong from none other than Mr 125, Peter Shilton, who graciously smiles and congratulates his usurper. Luka Modrić then arrives with a replica of a ball taken by English industrialists to Croatia in 1880. And finally here comes the Prince of Wales, to give Harry one of those Kane 126 shirts in a lovely easy-to-hang frame. Kane raises his arms in weary triumph; after dealing with that little lot, he must be knackered already. We’ll be off in a minute!
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Pre-match postbag. “With tonight’s record being broken, spare a thought for the holder of a more unwanted record, Emlyn Hughes. He won 62 caps and never got to go to the World Cup or Euros finals” – Roger Kirkby
“In the non-Kane-focused-Croatian World of Sport, does Modric’s pine-based residency mean he carried the can for that thing that happened last time? Is he now being shown a Ronaldo-shaped door (the other one)? Do Croatians want this? Is there a ‘Modrić van’ waiting for him every time he is picked?” – Ian Copestake
“Just noticed that if you combine the top 11 of the England appearance list you: (a) get a pretty sensible team, and (b) recreate both England’s traditional left-side problem AND the Gerrard-Lampard conundrum.
Shilton
Walker/Moore/Wright/Cole
Beckham/Lampard/Gerrard/Charlton
Rooney/Kane
Not sure what conclusions to draw from this” – Alex Coldrick-Ford
… meanwhile, as for the new-look central defensive pairing of Jarell Quansah and Dan Burn, Tuchel says … “It is never easy … it is a crucial pairing in the centre of defence … we are forced to do it … normally Marc [Guehi] and Ezri [Konsa] are the ones to have the shirt … John Stones is not with us … so Jarell [Quansah] kept his place from the Czech game and we went 51 percent for Dan Burn because of his experience … and we have Lewis Hall and Anthony Gordon … so we have a bit of a left side from Newcastle … they know each other … they have done it at the highest level in the Champions League.”
… and finally a word about the goalkeepers, with a trip to Spain at the weekend coming up. “I think we will change [from Jordan Pickford to James Trafford] but let’s see.”
Tuchel on Kane: 'the full package'
Thomas Tuchel speaks to ITV, who ask him about the secret to record-breaking Harry Kane’s success. “There is no secret … it is hard work … it is personality … it is talent, dedication, focus … the full package … he is not normally the loudest voice in the dressing room, but he is still our leader and our captain … it is not easy what he is doing because he gets a lot of praise and more attention than ever … even attention and praise and compliments can be very draining … hopefully he can brush it off and enjoy the match … enjoy the intensity and be decisive for us.”
Jude and Jobe Bellingham will become the 22nd set of brothers to play for England if Jobe gets off the bench at any point tonight. If Jude remains on the pitch, they’ll be just the 11th to play together for England: only Bobby and Jackie Charlton, and Gary and Phil Neville, have done that since the war. Here is the full list of brothers to have represented England …
Charlie (1872) and William Clegg (1873-79)
William (1875-77) and Herbert Rawson (1875)
Hubert (1873-78) and Frank Heron (1876)
Alfred (1877) and Ed Lyttelton (1878)
Ernest (1876), Charlie (1879-87) and Arthur Bambridge (1881)
Arthur (1876-83) and Harry Cursham (1880-84)
Fred (1880-82) and Jack Hargreaves (1881)
Arthur (1885-90) and Percy Walters (1885-90)
Alf (1882-84) and Charley Dobson (1886)
Charlie (1888) and Alf Shelton (1889-92)
Robert (1893-94) and Arthur Topham (1894)
Charlie (1890-93) and Tom Perry (1898)
Frank (1898-1903) and Fred Forman (1899)
Charles (1889) and Geoffrey Wilson (1900)
Bertie (1901) and Rex Corbett (1903)
Frank (1922-1926) and Reg Osbourne (1927)
Clem (1924) and George Stephenson (1928-1931)
Jack (1931) and Sep Smith (1935)
Bobby (1958-1970) and Jack Charlton (1965-1970)
Gary (1995-2007) and Phil Neville (1996-2007)
Nathaniel (2018) and Trevoh Chalobah (2025)
Kane’s record breaking cap is being celebrated in a number of ways at Wembley.
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From the archive … here’s how the Guardian reported on Peter Shilton’s final cap for England. Harry Kane knocks him off the top of England’s all-time appearance list tonight. Shilton has been there since 7 June 1989, when he earned his 109th cap against Denmark in Copenhagen, besting Bobby Moore’s total in doing so. All things must pass, and a 37-year reign isn’t bad going.
Related: Archive, 1990: Peter Shilton wins 125th and final cap of record-breaking England career
Croatia start with some familiar faces in their line-up: Manchester City duo Mateo Kovačić and Joško Gvardiol, Brighton defender Luka Vušković, and erstwhile Everton and West Ham striker Nikola Vlašić. Luka Modrić, who suddenly looked all of his 41 years during last month’s seven-goal hammering, is relegated to the bench, but will earn his 207th cap if he gets on tonight.
Related: Thomas Tuchel keeps laser focus on ‘unfinished business’ with England
The headline news is obviously Jordan Pickford’s 93rd cap Harry Kane’s record-breaking 126th appearance for England. Thomas Tuchel makes three changes to the side that started the 3-0 win over Czechia: Dan Burn, Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon come in for Marc Guéhi, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Eberechi Eze. For the record, Pickford will still need another 32 caps if he’s to equal Peter Shilton’s all-time goalkeeping total for England.
Related: Harry Kane’s England caps record: an illustrious career in numbers and charts
The teams
England: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Burn, Hall, Rice, Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Gordon, Kane, Rogers.
Subs: Trafford, Steele, Gibbs-White, White, Hill, Branthwaite, Jobe Bellingham, Garner, Calvert-Lewin, Ngumoha, Eze, King.
Croatia: Livakovic, Stanisic, Vuskovic, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Vlasic, Smolcic, Baturina, Sucic, Matanovic, Misic.
Subs: Pandur, Kotarski, Caleta-Car, Galesic, Majer, Beljo, Modric, Budimir, Mario Psaslic, Hrgovic, Marco Pasalic, Soticek.
Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark)
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Preamble
A whopping 40 days ago, this happened …
Related: Croatia 0-7 England: Nations League football – as it happened
… and while Croatia will be desperate to summon some sort of face-saving, reputation-salvaging, self-respect-restoring response tonight, they’d do well to consider that: (a) it’s not very likely, if their defenders again randomly skitter around like they did in Rijeka; (b) it’d almost certainly make not a jot of difference to their borderline-non-existent hopes of making the quarters†, and; (c) hey, they’ve always got the Euro 2008 qualifiers and the 2018 World Cup semi to keep them warm at night. So in that three-part sense, this is a bit of a non-event, though tell that to Harry Kane, who will break the all-time appearance record for the Three Lions‡. Kick-off at Wembley is at 7.45pm GMT. It, almost exclusively for England, is on!
†: After the first four matches in Group A3, the table looks like this …
1. Spain P4 GD+7 Pts 12
2. England P4 GD+11 Pts 9
3. Croatia P4 GD-10 Pts 3
4. Czechia P4 GD-8 Pts 0
… which means Spain are definitely through. England are as well, if we’re all being honest with each other. They can only be pipped by Croatia if they lose both of their final two matches in this November break (tonight’s game, then away on Sunday night to Spain) while Croatia win both of theirs (this one, then their hosting of Czechia) and even then, because things would go to the head-to-head, Croatia would have to beat England tonight by a minimum of seven goals.
‡: The all-time England men’s appearance list …
125: Peter Shilton, Harry Kane
120: Wayne Rooney
115: David Beckham
114: Steven Gerrard
108: Bobby Moore
107: Ashley Cole
106: Bobby Charlton, Frank Lampard
105: Billy Wright
96: Kyle Walker
94: John Stones
92: Jordan Pickford
91: Jordan Henderson
90: Bryan Robson
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