Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
With the domestic football season now fully wrapped up, all eyes are turning toward the European Championships, which will be played out in a variety of host cities across the continent. England find themselves as one of the favourites to win the competition, and Gareth Southgate's side will get their campaign underway against Croatia on June 13th.
England will enjoy the advantage of all their group games being played at Wembley Stadium in London, and that's where they'll take on Croatia, who knocked them out of the 2018 World Cup at the semi-final stage. It'll be a tough task for England to get off to a winning start against such a determined Croatia side, so let's take a look at two players from each team who could have a big say in deciding the outcome.
It's been a fine season for Mason Mount, and having assisted Kai Havertz's winning goal in the Champions League final, the 22-year-old will be brimming with confidence as he heads to the Euros. The attacking midfielder is blessed with quick feet and a fast-thinking football brain, and that could prove vital in unlocking a Croatia defence that will be set up to frustrate England as much as possible.
Mount has the ability to produce moments of magic out of nothing, and with the match against Croatia likely to be tense, England will need their most creative players at their brilliant best if they are to deliver on their status as favourites in the England v Croatia betting.
One of Croatia's most reliable performers in recent history has been Ivan Perisic, a player who has popped up with plenty of vital goals for his team in big tournaments. His equaliser in the World Cup semi-final against England paved the way for Croatia to go on and win the match in extra-time, and he also bagged a goal in the final against France, which his team eventually went on to lose.
At 32, Perisic is no spring chicken, but he'll be determined to make a big impact at this summer's Euros, in what could be his final major tournament before he hangs up his boots at international level.
It seems obvious to list Harry Kane as someone who could be a difference maker for England this summer, but the speculation regarding the striker's future at club level means he has a point to prove at the Euros. As captain, Kane will need to show that his performances for England will not be affected by transfer ruminations off the pitch, and a goal in the opening game against Croatia would go a long way towards doing that.
22-year-old Josip Brekalo is one to watch for Croatia this summer. After a good season in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg, who earned qualification for the Champions League, Brekalo will be eager to cause a stir at the European Championships. The winger already has 22 caps and four goals to his name at international level, and if he can bag a goal in Croatia's fixture against England, then he could well attract the attention of some of Europe's elite clubs.
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