England – Croatia

In the battle of European teams, the favourites will win

England's national team arrived at the World Cup in North America as one of eight teams that had previously won the World Cup. The Three Lions faced no problems in the qualifying stage. Although Thomas Tuchel managed to attract criticism, the footballing pioneers won all the qualifying group matches, where their main rivals were Serbia and Albania. There was no contest, as evidenced by Tuchel's team's goal difference of 22:0. Moreover, the Serbs on their own soil were crushed by England with particular brutality — 0:5. Which is obvious: the British side brought to the World Cup one of the strongest lineups among all participants. It is astonishing that there are on the planet such national teams into which players like Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, who are in good health, cannot break into. Croatia completed the qualifying stage without losses. The hardest match for Dalic's men came in Prague against their direct rival — the Czech Republic. After drawing there, the Croats fully demonstrated their advantage on their home stadium, crushing them 5:1. The evergreen Luka Modrić and his teammates arrived in North America as the second- and third-placed teams from World Cups 2018 and 2022, respectively. Despite Croatia having performed much more successfully in recent World Cup campaigns than England, the tournament in North America does not bode well for them. Bookmakers have designated the hosts as favorites for the upcoming encounter, offering odds of 1.72 on their victory. It is easy to imagine how England will play in the upcoming match. The ball will be under their control for two-thirds of the time, while the opponent's defense will be methodically destabilized. The very first productive strike on Croatia's goal will critically complicate their fate. After Gareth Southgate's tenure with the England team under the management of Thomas Tuchel, their football has become somewhat less pragmatic, but the principles have remained the same. As for Croatia, its blend of youth and experience does not yet look like a reliable construction, as recent friendlies have shown. England will win the match.