Making Modric fit is key

PAST England managers faced the problem of how to shoehorn three of our best midfielders – Steve Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes – into their teams in a way that would get the best out of them.

Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic has faced a similar dilemma with Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, two of the best midfielders in the world.

He has favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation in the main, with Modric in the No10 role, and it has worked so far.

Although playing further forward than he does for Real Madrid means Modric is involved less in the build-up, his influence is still huge – as witnessed in his goalscoring performance in the 3-0 win over Argentina.

Modric touched the ball 62 times and made only 42 passes in that match but in the quarter-final win against Russia he was deployed further back, and had 139 touches and made 102 passes. That did, however, mean Barcelona’s Rakitic was less influential, but Croatia are likely to try the same game plan again today and if the two dovetail well, England are likely to be starved of the ball.

Croatia, however, are not just about Modric and Rakitic. There is high-level experience throughout the team, with players at elite European clubs – including Liverpool, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Monaco – who have won nine Champions League titles between them compared to England’s one, and 11 of the 23-man squad have 40 caps or more.