This story has moved on: England face Spain in winner-takes-all Nations League clash

Summarised from 6 outlets · 11 reports · Updated 13 Nov, 18:29 · Archive

England defeated Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday in a Nations League match, with Harry Kane scoring and breaking the record for most England caps.

England defeated Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday in a Nations League Group A3 fixture. Harry Kane scored the winner from the penalty spot and became England's all-time leading appearance maker with his 126th cap, surpassing the previous record. Morgan Rogers also scored for England, with Croatia pulling a goal back through an own goal.

The victory came less than six weeks after England thrashed Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka. Croatia's captain Luka Modric had said after that defeat, 'I've been here for 20 years and this is the first time I feel ashamed.' Croatia manager Slaven Bilic had sought to use the humiliation as motivation for the Wembley rematch.

However, multiple outlets noted England's performance was below their best. The Daily Mail reported that England's display was probably their worst since losing to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, and that Croatia had three good opportunities to score a second goal in the final ten minutes that could have changed the outcome. One outlet described it as a 'clunky win'. Jarell Quansah made a defensive error that led to Croatia's equaliser.

English defender Dan Burn started the match despite not being in the original squad. Lewis Hall continued at left-back following recent performances. Declan Rice returned to the midfield after missing previous internationals through injury.

The victory confirmed England's qualification for the Nations League knockout phase with a game to spare. Both England and Spain have now secured top-two finishes in the group, but the final group game remains significant for determining who finishes first.

England now trail Spain by three points as the group stage approaches its conclusion. Only a win for England in Madrid on Sunday will see them top the group, which would secure a seeded position in the quarter-final draw and home advantage in the second leg. Spain, the reigning world and European champions, have won their last twelve matches in a row and know a draw is enough to guarantee top spot.

The quarter-finals will take place in March. Group winners will be seeded and play second-place finishers from other groups. If England finish top, their potential quarter-final opponents include France, Greece or Denmark. If they finish second, they could face Italy, Netherlands or Portugal. The quarter-final draw is scheduled for 11am on November 20.

How it is being reported

• Spain vs England: Nations League prediction, kick-off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results, oddsIt is a final game shootout in Madrid to decide the group winnersEvening Standard · 13 Nov, 12:18
• England's new plan of attack: Thomas Tuchel has switched style since World Cup but clunky win over Croatia showed growing pains - Spain will put it to severe test, writes JACK GAUGHANJACK GAUGHAN: Harry Kane and Thomas had frank conversations last month about the World Cup fallout. The manager respects and values his captain's opinion on these things.Daily Mail Sport · 13 Nov, 12:01
• Who could England face in Nations League quarter-finals?England have sealed their place in the Nations League quarter-finals after beating Croatia at Wembley - but who will they play in the last eight in March?Sky Sports · 13 Nov, 11:56
• England vs Spain was Raheem Sterling at his very best - his decline was sad, steep and rapidRaheem Sterling stole the show against Spain in Seville eight years ago, but after leaving Manchester City four years later his career entered a state of lasting declineMirror Sport · 13 Nov, 11:16
• Nations League permutations: What England need against Spain to qualify for quarter-finals as group winnersBoth nations have secured a top-two finish - but the order is still to be determinedEvening Standard · 13 Nov, 11:09
• Why England were unremarkable on Harry Kane's big night, how Dan Burn impressed after jumping the queue - and the established star whose place could be under threat from Morgan Rogers, writes IAN LADYMANEngland will head to Spain on Sunday for a Nations League shoot out with the World Champions. A win in Madrid could see Thomas Tuchel's team progress to the quarter-finals next March as group winners.Daily Mail Sport · 13 Nov, 07:00
• Who can England face in Nations League quarter-final? Next opponents confirmed ahead of Spain showdownQuarter-final spot secured, but who lies in wait in March?Evening Standard · 12 Nov, 22:47
• Kane scores winner but who else made an impression? England player ratingsHow did England's players fare in the Nations League match against Croatia? Senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel gives his verdict.BBC News · 12 Nov, 21:47
• England v Croatia: Nations League – liveUpdates from Group A3 match at Wembley, kick-off 7.45pm GMT Email Scott | Live scores | Sign up here! A whopping 40 days ago, this 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…The Guardian · 12 Nov, 18:00
• England vs Croatia team news LIVE!Sky Sports · 12 Nov, 15:03
• ‘An eternal shame’: Bilic and Croatia aim to use 7-0 humbling as fuel against EnglandThe home humiliation last month has left a scar on Croatian football but their manager wants them to use it to positive effect in the Wembley rematch As Croatia prepare to face England at Wembley on Thursday in the Nations League, wounds from a humiliating defeat by the same opponents just over a month ago are fresh and there is a lingering feeling of unease. No one will say it – certainly not Slaven Bilic, who always believes in goals that may seem unreachable to most others – but the impression is that Croatia would be satisfied to accept another defeat, provided it was gentle enough by…Guardian Sport · 11 Nov, 12:30

In this story: England · Croatia · Harry Kane · Spain · Wembley · Rijeka · Thomas Tuchel · Luka Modric

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