England vs Croatia Lineups, Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds

England vs Croatia Match Summary

England host Croatia at Wembley Stadium in UEFA Nations League A on Thursday night, and Harry Kane is set to win his 126th cap, breaking Peter Shilton's men's appearance record.

Thomas Tuchel's side head into this one chasing a fourth straight Nations League win, and the home crowd will want more of the front-foot football that has been blowing teams away.

Slaven Bilić's Croatia come in on the back of three straight defeats against tough opposition, and Ivan Perišić's suspension leaves another hole in a squad already stretched by injuries.

Croatia want revenge for the 7-0 hiding they suffered at home in the reverse fixture. Yet England have won the last 4 times they hosted Croatia in all competitions.

England vs Croatia Form

England are purring in the Nations League. Since losing to Spain, Thomas Tuchel's side have outscored opponents 12-0 across three games, the latest a comfortable win over Czechia. Kane leads the line with real menace, while Anthony Gordon has 3 scoring outings from his last 3 in UEFA Nations League A.

Croatia have hit a rough patch. Slaven Bilić's side have lost three straight games against tough opposition, and they sit third on the log. Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić still anchor the engine room, but the away side need Martin Baturina to bring some spark from the left.

England vs Croatia Lineups & Team News

Injuries & Suspensions

England: Bukayo Saka (Injured/out), Marc Guéhi (Injured/out)

Croatia: Josip Šutalo (Injured/out), Marin Pongračić (Injured/out), Franjo Ivanović (Injured/out), Kristijan Jakić (Injured/out), Ivan Perišić (Suspended)

England

Kane will make his first England start since winning the Ballon d'Or, a timely lift with Bukayo Saka and Marc Guéhi both out of contention. Ezri Konsa and Anthony Gordon could both be called into the side by Thomas Tuchel.

Croatia

Absences shape Croatia's half of the England vs Croatia lineups. Winger Ivan Perišić is suspended after his red card against Spain, so Martin Baturina should replace him, while Mario Pašalić and Petar Sučić could also start. Šutalo and Pongračić being sidelined leaves the back line thin.

England vs Croatia Predicted Lineup

England

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Starting Lineup: Jordan Pickford; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall; Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice; Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane

Croatia

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Starting Lineup: Dominik Livaković; Josip Stanišić, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Luka Vušković, Joško Gvardiol; Luka Modrić, Mario Pašalić; Petar Sučić, Mateo Kovačić, Martin Baturina; Dion Beljo

England vs Croatia Key Stats & Match Facts

• England have scored 2+ goals in 4 of their last 4 matches (UEFA Nations League A), so the home side have been finding the net freely.
• England have had 17+ shots in 3 of their last 3 matches (UEFA Nations League A), a relentless volume of attempts.
• Harry Kane has scored in 4 of his last 4 appearances (UEFA Nations League A).
• Jude Bellingham has recorded 1+ shots on target in 4 of his last 4 appearances (UEFA Nations League A).

England vs Croatia Prediction & Best Bets

Our prediction: England 3-0 Croatia. The home side are scoring freely, Croatia arrive short at the back without Šutalo and Pongračić, and England's home record against this opponent gives the away side very little to cling to. Kane looks the man to lead the charge.

Best Bets

We are holding fire on standalone England vs Croatia best bets, with the main match markets yet to be priced up at the time of writing.

Until then, the bet builder below carries our preferred angles, all built around England's attack with Kane and Bellingham at its heart.

England vs Croatia Bet Builder

Our England vs Croatia bet builder tips back the home attack: Kane anytime and England Over 1.5 Total Home Goals. Bellingham Over 0.5 Player Shots On Target completes it.

Harry Kane, Anytime Goalscorer: the skipper has found the net in 2 of the last 3 games he has played against Croatia (UEFA Nations League A), and faces a back line missing Šutalo and Pongračić.

The home goals line fits neatly: England have put at least 2 goals past Croatia in 5 of their last 6 home dates with this opponent across all competitions.

Bellingham Over 0.5 Player Shots On Target rounds it off. Operating behind Kane, he has put at least one shot on target in 4 out of his past 4 appearances (UEFA Nations League A).

All three legs lean on England's attack doing its job, which sits comfortably with our call of a home win to nil.

Make sure to get the best odds on your Bet Builder with Oddschecker's Exclusive Bet Builder Comparison Tool.

Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.

England vs Croatia Talking Points

Before a ball is kicked, Kane is due to present his Ballon d'Or trophy to supporters at Wembley Stadium, and the real danger for England is a flat start after all the fanfare. Thomas Tuchel has already warned his squad against complacency, demanding the same high-intensity counter-pressing and defensive discipline. Patience may still be needed: on each of the last 3 occasions England welcomed this opponent, in all competitions, they were level at half time before winning at full time. The engine room is the battle to watch, with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson tasked with crowding out Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić. Out wide, Anthony Gordon running at Josip Stanišić down England's left could decide how quickly the home side crack a stubborn Croatia, and that feeds straight into our England vs Croatia prediction.

England vs Croatia Predictions FAQs

When is the England vs Croatia UEFA Nations League game?

The match kicks off at 21:45 SAST on Thursday 12 November 2026. It is a UEFA Nations League A fixture.

Where is England vs Croatia being played?

England vs Croatia is being played at Wembley Stadium.

Who is in England's probable lineup for the Croatia game?

England's probable lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation is Jordan Pickford, Lewis Hall, Dan Burn, Jarell Quansah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Harry Kane.

Which players are injured or suspended for England and Croatia?

For England, Bukayo Saka and Marc Guéhi are injured. For Croatia, Josip Šutalo, Marin Pongračić, Franjo Ivanović and Kristijan Jakić are injured, and Ivan Perišić is suspended.

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