Croatia suffered a significant defeat at home to England in a Nations League match, with the final score reaching 7-0. Captain Luka Modric, 41, made his 205th appearance for the national team and afterward expressed deep disappointment with the team’s showing, stating he felt ashamed for the first time in 20 years as an international.
Modric, who recently agreed to continue his international career under returning manager Slaven Bilic, struggled to articulate an explanation for the performance. He noted that the team appeared to lack fundamental elements of football play, describing them as looking like they had fewer players than they should have. The midfielder emphasized the absence of proper challenges, fouls, aggressiveness, and togetherness during the match.
The loss came after a more promising start to Bilic’s second tenure, which began with a 2-1 Nations League victory away to the Czech Republic that placed Croatia ahead of England in Group A3. However, a subsequent 4-1 defeat away to world champions Spain had already begun to complicate matters. Before the England match, the two nations were level on points, with the top two teams in the group advancing to the latter stages of the competition.
By the time Modric was substituted in the 57th minute, Croatia had already conceded five goals, including two from Harry Kane and one each from Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, and Bukayo Saka. Additional goals from Saka and Morgan Rogers followed as England extended their lead significantly.
Looking ahead, Croatia faces continued challenges in the competition, with matches scheduled against Spain in Split on Tuesday, followed by away travel to England on November 12 and a home contest against the Czech Republic on November 15. The team currently sits in third place in the group and faces a battle to maintain their standing in the top tier of the Nations League.
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