Three key battles
MOSCOW: Youth faces experience when England’s young guns and Croatia’s old guard face off in today’s World Cup semi-final in Moscow, with the prize of a return trip to the Luzhniki Stadium for the final.
England have not reached the last four for 28 years and have only once before reached the final, when they won the World Cup on home soil in 1966.
Croatia have never gone beyond the semis, but after matching the achievements of their much-revered 1998 side, a richly talented generation’s luck may have turned in time to land the biggest prize in football.
looks at three key battles that could decide where the game is won and lost.
• JUST over six weeks on from Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final, Jordan Henderson has his chance to exact revenge on Luca Modric and extend his incredible run of 30 matches without defeat in an England shirt — the longest unbeaten run for any player in England’s history.
Henderson’s leadership, discipline and distribution as Gareth Southgate’s deepest-lying midfielder has been key to allowing Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli to get forward and score goals in Russia.
However, that midfield faces its toughest test yet with Modric in the form of his life at 32.
• FACING the tournament’s top scorer brings back bad memories for Croatia’s Dejan Lovren. The Liverpool defender was replaced after just half an hour into a 4-1 defeat by Tottenham in October after being run ragged by Harry Kane.
In total, Kane has scored five times in five meetings with Lovren and will look to seal the Golden Boot by adding to his six goals already at the World Cup.
• KIERAN Trippier has been one of the breakout stars of the World Cup. Nicknamed the “Bury Beckham” for the similarities in the quality of his crossing to the former England captain, Trippier is rivalling Neymar and Kevin de Bruyne for creating the greatest number of chances at the tournament so far.
Southgate’s 3-5-2 system with another natural right-back, Kyle Walker, in the back three has allowed Trippier to get forward at every opportunity. But his defensive capabilities will be examined up against Ivan Perisic.
The Inter Milan winger has scored five times in his past 11 appearances at major international tournaments and is the one player in the Croatian attack with the pace to stretch the England defence.