Wing-backs stifled

A strength of England’s system has been the delivery from the flanks, from Kieran Trippier in particular. But after a strong first half England were pinned back. The Croatian wingers Ante Rebic and Ivan Perisic are both powerful, aggressive and wily. Ashley Young struggled with Rebic’s energy while, frankly, Perisic dominated Trippier, who was caught out on several occasions with the winger's diagonal runs in from the flanks. It did not help that Kyle Walker is still a relative rookie on the right of the three-man defence and there was a clear tactic to try and target the back post – Walker's post – with crosses (see below). Sime Vrsaljko's crosses targeting the back post