LIVE: England v Croatia – All the build-up as Gareth Southgate’s team kick off their Euro 2020 campaign at Wembley… but his team selection ALREADY has fans frustrated as they pack the pubs across the country
- England begin their Euro 2020 journey against Croatia at Wembley Stadium
- Gareth Southgate’s side will look to get off to a strong start in Group D
- All eyes will be on the Three Lions boss’ team selection due at 1pm BST
- Harry Kane & Co will take to the national stadium for kick off at 2pm BST
- Euro 2020 fixtures, results and television guide in full
- Euro 2020 complete squad list of every player in the tournament
- Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here.
After months of build up the talk is over and the football takes over. In just a few hours England begin their Euro 2020 journey against Croatia at Wembley.
It is fair to say that Gareth Southgate’s side will enter this afternoon’s contest slightly undercooked, having fielded weaker teams for two drab friendlies against Austria and Romania, as well as having to contend with a range of injury issues.
But all that matters is advancing through a tricky Group D, and the Three Lions’ challenge starts against World Cup finalists Croatia, who dumped England out of Russia three years ago.
All eyes will be on Southgate’s line-up as the England boss must decide if he will go with a back three or four, while the 50-year-old has a selection headache with regards to his wide array of attacking options.
Follow Sportsmail’s OLLIE LEWIS for live Euro 2020 coverage of England vs Croatia, including scoreline, lineups and build-up.
Host commentator
The 26-man squad scrubbed up well as they swapped their training kit for shirt and tie for the official Euro 2020 photo, and there was not a waistcoat in sight…
Jamie Carragher has handed England a reality check on the cusp of Euro 2020 by suggesting the nation’s expectations of reaching the semi-finals are ‘lofty’.
Click below to read more.
We’ve heard countless England XI combinations from fans and pundits, but it was intriguing to hear who Jose Mourinho would select if he was in charge of the Three Lions.
Surprisingly, the typically pragmatic Portuguese coach took a more attacking approach when choosing his XI.
Click below to read more.
Of course, Gareth Southgate’s full focus will be on Croatia, but England fans may have an eye on the rest of the competition.
Here’s how the Three Lions could advance through the tournament.
From Brent to starting for England, Sterling has come a long way.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQDY28EgLHt/
A post shared by Raheem Sterling x ? (@sterling7)
As mentioned earlier, Southgate is expected to select Kieran Trippier to start at left back, while Jack Grealish will start from the bench.
England fans have taken to Twitter to call on the Three Lions to take the handbrake off.
…and it is a glorious day at Wembley!
Rio Ferdinand wants to see Gareth Southgate give his young stars the opportunity to perform at this summer’s major tournament.
‘If I could see Bellingham perform on this stage, if I could see Foden perform on this stage, if I could see Grealish perform on this stage, if I could see Sancho. Mason Mount is another one. Those are the players that are exciting me,’ he exclusively told Sportsmail.
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As a player, Gareth Southgate was viewed as ‘The Cardigan Kid’ or ‘Mr Nice’.
At the World Cup he ditched his cardigan for a waistcoat and there’s been no looking back.
Sportsmail’s OLIVER HOLT explains how Southgate offers an awful lot more than just being nice.
The young England side face Zlatko Dalic’s experienced Croatia in their first group game on Sunday hoping to banish some bad memories.
The history that England share with this new old enemy matches that of traditional rivals Germany and Argentina as Southgate’s side prepare to meet Croatia at a tournament for the fourth time.
Click below to read more.
Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw are BOTH expected to start on the bench this afternoon, with Kieran Trippier selected at left back.
Sportsmail also understands that Jack Grealish will not start.
Here’s the expected XI for today’s match:
GK: Jordan Pickford
RB: Kyle Walker
CB: John Stones
CB: Tyrone Mings
LB: Kieran Trippier
CM: Declan Rice
CM: Kalvin Phillips
CM: Mason Mount
LW: Raheem Sterling
RW: Phil Foden
CF: Harry Kane
When it’s this sunny it’s never too early to get in the party mood!
It’s finally here! In just four hours England will kick off their Euro 2020 journey against Croatia at Wembley Stadium.
It’s been a long road to this tournament opener for England since their World Cup heartache to today’s opponents, but there are clear signs that the squad that will bid to win the European Championship is far improved from the team that were sent home from Russia.
As a result, Southgate has important selection decisions to make – most notably, does he start with a back three or four? And who will he start in attack alongside Harry Kane?
We will be dissecting all the big talking points as we build towards today’s 2pm kick off, stay tuned as we provide team news and live coverage of this afternoon’s Group D clash.
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