Newcastle United defenders Dan Burn and Lewis Hall helped England secure a narrow victory over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League, setting up a decisive clash for top spot in Group A3 on Sunday. Hall was named man of the match with an 8/10 rating, while Burn contributed a solid 7/10 display in front of 80,484 fans at Wembley.
England's left-sided Newcastle connection
Burn and Hall were paired on the left side of Thomas Tuchel's back four as England lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. The Three Lions boss admitted this style would suit both players because of their Newcastle connection, with Elliot Anderson and Anthony Gordon also starting.
Burn was tasked with containing Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic, supported by Luka Sucic and Martin Baturina in a three-pronged Croatian attack. He passed his first test on 10 minutes, nicking the ball off Matanovic and clearing efficiently.
Goals and key moments
The game remained goalless at the midway point, with little to report other than an Anderson shot that flew just over the bar. Two minutes later, England took the lead when Hall rolled the ball to Harry Kane, who dinked it to the right for Jude Bellingham before Morgan Rogers bundled home.
On 26 minutes, Hall's free-kick was swung to the far post for Burn, but his header did not trouble Dominik Livakovic. Hall then had a shot deflected wide after Gordon played him in. Gordon had England's first attempt of the second half, but his effort from the left flank was high and wide.
Croatia equalise before Kane penalty
Croatia levelled on 59 minutes when Josko Gvardiol knocked down a corner and Jarell Quansah made a weak attempt to head it back to Jordan Pickford, allowing Sucic to cash in. Quansah made amends four minutes later when he was brought down to earn a penalty, which Kane tucked home.
Gordon was taken off before the end after a frustrating night, with Rio Ngumoha, James Garner and Ben White introduced as substitutes.
