England continue their Nations League campaign this evening with a trip to Croatia, in a match that will carry an unusual atmosphere given it will be played without supporters inside the ground.
The fixture, scheduled for the Stadion HNK in Rijeka with kick-off at 5pm BST, represents the third of four matches during this international window for Thomas Tuchel's side. It comes after a mixed start to the Nations League for England, who suffered defeat to reigning world champions Spain before responding with a victory over the Czech Republic. The international break will conclude with a second meeting against the Czechs following tonight's contest.
The empty-stadium setting is the result of a sanction imposed on the Croatian federation by UEFA, who issued the punishment after disorder and discriminatory conduct among supporters during a previous fixture against France in March of last year. As a consequence, no fans will be permitted inside the venue for this encounter.
Croatia arrive at this game having enjoyed a strong run at the World Cup under manager Slaven Bilic, where the team progressed as far as the first knockout stage. Their tournament journey ended there, however, following a 2-1 defeat to Portugal in Toronto, with Goncalo Ramos scoring a dramatic stoppage-time goal to complete a comeback after Croatia had taken an early lead.
For England, this period of Nations League fixtures follows a difficult end to their World Cup campaign, where they were eliminated in the semi-finals by Argentina courtesy of a last-minute winner in Arlington, Texas. Since taking charge, Tuchel has used this international window to assess his squad across contrasting challenges, facing both an elite European side in Spain and a Czech Republic team they managed to overcome.
Among the players expected to feature prominently for England is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has looked to make the most of his opportunities in the side during this block of fixtures. His continued involvement will be closely watched as Tuchel shapes his plans heading into the next phase of matches.
Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the match live on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 4.15pm BST ahead of kick-off. The game will also be available to stream through the ITVX website and app for those unable to watch via television. Additional coverage, including live updates and analysis, will be provided throughout the match for fans wanting in-depth insight into the action from Rijeka.
With no crowd inside the stadium, both teams will be tasked with generating their own intensity in a fixture that still carries significant weight in terms of Nations League standings and squad development for both nations. Croatia will be eager to build on the confidence gained from their World Cup run, while England will look to maintain momentum following their win over the Czech Republic and address any lessons learned from their defeat to Spain.
As the international window nears its conclusion, both Tuchel and Bilic will be using this contest to continue shaping their squads ahead of the matches and tournaments that lie ahead, with the final fixture against the Czech Republic to follow shortly after this clash in Croatia.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.