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Critical clash in Rijeka for group standings

The Croatia-England match stands out among the third-round fixtures in UEFA Nations League 2026-27 Group A3. The game will be played on Saturday, October 3, at Rujevica Stadium in Rijeka, Croatia.

Both teams won once and lost once in their first two group matches. In a group that also includes reigning world champions Spain and Czechia, the result is seen as one that could shape the early direction of the standings.

Croatia opened the competition with a 2-1 win over Czechia in Prague before falling 4-1 to Spain in Seville. England lost 3-2 to Spain in London in their opener, then beat 10-man Czechia 2-0 in Prague.

Who are the key names and what are the team updates?

Modric remains the driving force for Croatia

Luka Modric continues to influence midfield at the age of 41. The veteran captain scored in the win in Czechia and was once again one of the key figures in Croatia’s build-up play.

Ivan Perisic has also stood out for Croatia with assists in the last two matches. There are defensive concerns, however: centre-back Martin Erlic remains sidelined until mid-October, while right-back Josip Juranovic will miss out due to illness.

Croatia’s likely XI was listed as follows: Dominik Livakovic; Josip Stanisic, Luka Vuskovic, Josko Gvardiol, Ivan Perisic; Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic; Luka Sucic, Petar Sucic, Franjo Ivanovic; Dion Beljo.

England’s Kane-Gordon link draws attention

For England, captain Harry Kane and winger Anthony Gordon have been the standout duo in the opening two matches. England have followed a similar pattern in their recent games, with Gordon scoring first and Kane then adding to the tally.

The club form backs that up as well. Gordon has five assists this season for Barcelona, while Kane has scored six goals for Bayern Munich. England left-back Nico O'Reilly has been withdrawn from the squad because of injury.

England’s likely XI was listed as: James Trafford; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall; Elliot Anderson, Miles Lewis-Skelly; Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane.

Latest meeting and the main notes ahead of the match

The two teams last met at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. England won 4-2 in their group game in Arlington, Texas, on June 17, with Kane scoring twice and Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham also on target.

  • Venue: Rujevica Stadium, Rijeka
  • Kickoff: 18:00 local time, 16:00 GMT
  • Tournament: UEFA Nations League 2026-27, Group A3
  • Group record for both teams: 1 win, 1 loss

The clash in Rijeka is viewed as an important turning point in a difficult group that also includes Spain, both in terms of the standings and morale.

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