ENGLAND MUST MAKE THIS A PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH

THE key to England winning the midfield battle tonight is to ambush Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic early. They cannot afford to give these midfield maestros an inch. Step off them and they will dictate the game. England must do all they can to disrupt their flow and make life uncomfortable. They need to press the ball quickly and force them to play square or backwards. It won’t be easy — Modric is a master of deception. When you think you’ve got him, he’ll quickly shift direction. When one England

midfielder engages him, another has to get behind him to suffocate him completely. England must up the tempo to make this feel like a Premier League match. They must be wary of a counterattack but if Jesse Lingard, Dele Alli or Raheem Sterling can pickpocket Modric or Rakitic high up the pitch, it will allow England to quickly break and give Harry Kane the chance to torment Dejan Lovren.