England To Edge Croatia In Tough World Cup Opener
England look ready to make a strong start to their World Cup campaign. Croatia's experience will make this competitive, but England's quality, depth and defensive record should be enough to secure all three points in a closely fought opener
Match: England v Croatia
League / Competition: World Cup
Our Pick: England To Win
Odds: 1.70
Market: Match Winner
Analyst Confidence: 4/5
England begin their World Cup campaign as favourites under Thomas Tuchel and arrive in excellent form after an unbeaten qualifying campaign where they won all eight matches and conceded zero goals. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice give England quality all over the pitch, while their squad depth is among the strongest in the tournament.
Croatia remain dangerous with the experience of Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić, but concerns remain over the age of key players and fitness issues heading into the tournament. Croatia's manager Zlatko Dalić has already described the opener as a match that could "destroy everything" if they start badly.
This should be a tight game, much like previous meetings between the sides, but England's greater attacking depth and strong defensive structure give them the edge. Many previews are expecting a low-scoring England victory rather than a comfortable win