CZECH REPUBLIC BIT
LUKA MODRIC is ready to subject England to more major tournament heartache according to Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic.
The Real Madrid and former Tottenham midfielder (above, with Harry Kane) is now 34 with fears he is past his best.
But Dalic said: “He will play like a young player. He will play like a 20-year-old.
“He is hungry, he has a lot of ambition. It will be special for him to play in England, at Wembley. He has played there before. I am not worried about Luka Modric. Dejan
Lovren also plays in England with Liverpool and Mateo Kovacic with Chelsea.
“They will help me a lot about players from England.”
Gareth Southgate’s team will meet the Croats two years after losing to them in the World Cup semi-finals.
They meet in the opening clash at Wembley on June 14.
The Croatia boss added: “Wembley will not be easy. It will be a full stadium.
“We are a new team compared to the World Cup.
“They are very strong, a lot of young players, very fast. I am worried about this game.”
CZECH REPUBLIC head coach Jaroslav Silhavy has insisted he does not fear England’s freescoring attack.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane has scored 23 goals in 24 appearances for club and country this season, while Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has scored 19 times in 25 games and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford 10 in 12.
Silhavy, however, masterminded England’s first qualifying defeat in a decade in October in Prague. He said: “They are very good players but we will not fear them.
“They have a very strong team but we are confident. We want to have a strong team and our goal is to qualify for the round of 16.”
Silhavy (above) dismissed the idea the burden of expectation could weigh heavily on England with a starstudded squad and three home games at Wembley.
He added: “We won against England but that’s the reason why England will prepare better.”
Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1
England 5 Czech Rep 0 22.03.19 Wembley A hat-trick from Raheem Sterling settled matters, with Harry Kane adding a penalty, plus a Tomas Kalas own goal.
Czech Rep 2 England 1 11.10.19 Prague Kane’s fifth-minute penalty was as good as it got. The Czechs levelled through Jakub Brabec, Zdenek Ondrasek scoring the winner (below) with four minutes left.