Raheem Sterling’s only goal was enough for England to win over Croatia in their group’s opening match.
It was a rather even battle between them but it was England who was always posing danger to goal. Croatia was well behaved in defense, focusing on counter attack, especially in the first half.
Sterling scored the only goal of the match in the 57th minute of the game from a creative ball awarded to him by Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Philips.
Both teams had 8 shots on goal, with only 2 on target. With Croatia’s defensive lineup, English attackers weren’t allowed to run rampant, however, Gareth Southgate will be the smiling manager at the end.
Before the game, Croatian captain and Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric acknowledged that England is a fierce team and one of the favorites of this year’s tournament.
Last time these two teams met, Croatia sent England home from the World Cup semi finals.
