Croatia v England... five past meetings

CROATIA 2 ENGLAND 4

June 21, 2004 – Euro 2004 group stage

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 in a Three Lions display which won lavish praise from the English media. England qualified for the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time on foreign soil, but high expectation was followed by a crushing penalty shoot-out defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the last eight.

CROATIA 2 ENGLAND 0

October 11, 2006 – Euro 2008 qualifier

Croatia exacted revenge with the help of goalkeeper Paul Robinson’s blunder by sending Steve Mcclaren’s England spinning to a dismal defeat in Zagreb. Robinson had made a string of fine saves to ensure the first half remained goalless as Croatia laid siege to the England goal before Eduardo headed the home side into a deserved 61st-minute lead. Eight minutes later Gary Neville’s back-pass bobbled up after hitting a divot on the six-yard line as Robinson went to clear and the goalkeeper watched in agony as the ball rolled in.

ENGLAND 2 CROATIA 3

November 21, 2007 – Euro 2008 qualifier

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, pictured right, and cost him his job. Croatia went 2-0 up inside 14 minutes after Scott Carson, who had replaced Robinson, fumbled Nico Kranjcar’s shot into the net and Ivica Olic slipped in a second. Frank Lampard pulled one back from the spot in the second half and substitute David Beckham set up Peter Crouch for the equaliser, but Mladen Petric crashed home a 25-yard winner with 13 minutes left and England trudged off to a chorus of boos.