England delivered an emphatic 7-0 demolition of Croatia in a behind-closed-doors Nations League fixture that will live long in the memory, though for Croatia it is one they will wish to forget entirely. With the match closed to most adult supporters following previous crowd trouble, the Croatian federation opted to let local children attend free of charge, meaning the vast majority of the 6,403 in attendance were youngsters who witnessed a historic mauling of their national team.
Thomas Tuchel's side were ruthless from start to finish, overwhelming a Croatian team that offered little resistance in any phase of play. The scoreline ballooned steadily through the match, with England adding goals at regular intervals until the rout was complete. For a Croatia side built on the legacy of multiple major tournament runs, it was a chastening evening that exposed how far the squad has fallen from its peak years.
Luka Modric, Croatia's long-serving captain, did not hold back in his assessment of the performance. "It is difficult to find an explanation for such a performance without duels, fouls, aggressiveness, togetherness," he said. "I've been here for 20 years, but for the first time I feel ashamed after a game. You can't play football like that; we looked like we had four or five players less. Losing like this and squandering the reputation we've built over the years is unacceptable. It was a catastrophic night."
For Tuchel, the victory represented another step in moving England forward following the disappointment of their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain in Berlin. "To win this dominant performance is the way to move on," the German manager said. "We'll always have a scar, feel pain, but this is the way to move forward." England now turn their attention to a rematch with world champions Spain on Tuesday, a fixture that will inevitably draw comparisons to that painful night in the German capital.
The win was not without cost, however. Midfielder Alex Scott, who had been nursing a thigh issue heading into the fixture, was forced off and has since been ruled out of the squad for approximately two months. Tuchel expressed frustration at the setback, explaining that all signals from the player and medical staff had pointed toward him being fit to feature. "I'm very sad about it," Tuchel said. "He trained in full before Croatia, did extra work after the training sessions, we knew he was in treatment but there were only green lights from him and the medics. Even before the scan he didn't feel [knacked] so it's a strange one. There was zero risk taken from our side."
The injury adds to a growing list of fitness concerns that have affected England's squad in recent months, raising fresh questions about player management even amid such a dominant result on the pitch.
For Croatia, the defeat marks a low point in a difficult period for a squad that has long punched above its weight on the international stage thanks to golden-generation talents like Modric. The manner of the loss - lacking in physicality, organization, and fight according to their own captain - will prompt serious introspection as the team looks to regroup before their next fixtures.
England, meanwhile, will hope the confidence gained from such a comprehensive victory carries into their showdown with Spain, even as they continue to grapple with the physical toll the campaign has taken on their squad depth.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football Daily.