PREVIOUS MEETINGS

JUNE 21, 2004 - EURO 2004 GROUP STAGE, CROATIA 2 ENGLAND 4

WAYNE Rooney was given a standing ovation at the Luz Stadium in Lisbon as England booked a place in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals against hosts Portugal in style. Rooney, then 18, scored twice after setting up Paul Scholes for the equaliser before Frank Lampard added a late fourth.

OCTOBER 11, 2006 - EURO 2008 QUALIFIER, CROATIA 2 ENGLAND 0

EDUARDO headed the home side into a deserved 61st-minute lead. Eight minutes later Gary Neville’s backpass bobbled up after hitting a divot on the six-yard line as keeper Paul Robinson went to clear and the ball rolled in.

NOVEMBER 21, 2007 - EURO 2008 QUALIFIER, ENGLAND 2 CROATIA 3

ENGLAND’S failure to qualify for Euro 2008 was confirmed after another woeful display at Wembley, which earned McClaren his ‘Wally with the Brolly’ moniker and cost him his job. Croatia went 2-0 up inside 14 minutes after Scott Carson fumbled Nico Kranjcar’s shot into the net and Ivica Olic slipped in a second. Frank Lampard pulled one back from the penalty spot and David Beckham set up Peter Crouch for the equaliser, but Mladen Petric crashed home a 25-yard winner.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2008 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER, CROATIA 1 ENGLAND 4

THEO Walcott fired a brilliant hat-trick to inflict on Croatia their first home defeat in a competitive fixture. Walcott gave Fabio Capello’s England a halftime lead and drilled home a carbon-copy second in the 59th minute soon after Robert Kovac had been sent off for his elbow on Joe Cole. Wayne Rooney converted a third and, after Mario Mandzukic had notched a consolation, Walcott completed his hat-trick.

SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER, ENGLAND 5 CROATIA 1

THE Three Lions secured their place at South Africa 2010 with this win. Lampard, his first from the penalty spot, and Steven Gerrard both struck twice in either half and Eduardo’s token effort for Croatia was swiftly snuffed out when Rooney added a fifth.