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England opened their Euro 2020 campaign with an unimpressive 1-0 victory over Croatia at the Wembley Stadium in London. Raheem Sterling was on target for the Three Lions in the second half, with his strike enough to see off the Vatreni.
The hosts started the match brightly, moving the ball around quickly. Phil Foden fired an effort off the post, but Gareth Southgate's side gradually lost momentum.
The second half continued in an insipid way, with neither team truly exuding attacking flair, but a moment of inspiration from Kalvin Phillips helped England break the deadlock.
The Leeds United midfielder took two steps before finding a gap in the Croatian defence. He then laid a through-ball for Sterling to latch onto and fire home England's winner.
It wasn't their best game by any means, but England would still be content to have taken all three points. Meanwhile, Croatia will now look to bounce back against the Czech Republic in their next game.
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Update on Manchester United's pursuit of Jadon Sancho, Chelsea's plans for Hakimi, and more.
On that note, let's have a look at the five hits and flops from either team in the match:
Hit: Kalvin Phillips (England)
England's lineup featured star names like Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Phil Foden. But their best player on the pitch was one who is coming off his first club season in the top flight. Kalvin Phillips ran the show for England and also created their only goal of the game.
Operating at the base of the midfield, the Leeds United star had the license to roam forward and used that to get the ball to his wider teammates. Phillips pressed his Croatian counterparts when not in possession, forcing them into a few turnovers.
His best bit of the match, though, was his defence-splitting through-ball for Sterling. Showing excellent vision to spot a gap in Croatia's defence, Phillips laid the ball off for the Manchester City star to finish beyond Vatreni goalkeeper Livakovic.
It was a breakout performance from the 25-year-old, who could potentially be a future star for England.
Flop: Harry Kane (England)
Coming off the back of a fine individual campaign in the Premier League, a lot is expected off Harry Kane at the Euros. His first game, though, was a damp squib, as the striker was largely anonymous and skied a good chance in the second half.
With Croatia running a tight ship in defence, England found it difficult to get the ball to Kane, with most of their crosses either too high or too easily claimed by Livakovic. The second half saw Kane drop a little deeper to help in the build-up but to no avail.
When an opportunity finally arrived for Kane to fire home from close range, the 27-year old, under pressure from three Croatian players, fired the ball high over the bar before colliding against the upright.
It was a day to forget for Kane, who'll hope to bounce back quickly in the next match.
Also Read: Paul Merson's 5 surprise contenders for the Player of the Tournament award.
Hit: Luka Modric (Croatia)
So often the talisman for his club and country, Luka Modric produced another midfield masterclass. England had to resort to fouling the Real Madrid star to win back possession. There was literally no other way to stop the 36-year-old player on the night.
He read the game brilliantly and laid down a marker once again with his passes, registering a 93% success rate. Modric also created two good chances for Croatia, which, rather, unfortunately, went begging.
Like in the Champions League a few weeks ago, the 36-year-old came up against Mount once again. Their duel was entertaining to watch, with Modric emerging on top most of the time.
Flop: Ivan Perisic (Croatia)
Inconsistency has been the biggest Achilles heel of Ivan Perisic. Against England, Perisic endured one of his worst nights.
The Inter Milan forward did not come close to threatening the England citadel. He wasted a good chance to score for the visitors, producing a loose touch that allowed Tyron Mings to hook the ball off him.
Perisic made some of the fewest passes on the field. Kyle Walker comfortably held him off on a few occasions, negating any attacking move he could've started.
If the Vatreni are to mount another deep run in the Euros, they'll desperately need their attackers to fire at all cylinders.
Hit: Raheem Sterling (England)
Not everyone was impressed to see Raheem Sterling start the match. But after full-time, most of his doubters must have been silenced, as the Manchester City star put on a fine display and saved England's blushes with a crucial winner.
Right from the off, Sterling gave Croatia plenty to think about with his piercing runs, as he came close to scoring early on. He worked nicely with Declan Rice to work out a few openings while also producing eye-catching footwork on the ball.
His run through the middle of the pitch was spotted brilliantly by Philipps. Sterling then latched on to the ball before making a composed finish beyond Livakovic to break the deadlock and eventually win the match for England.
It was a good start to his Euro 2020 campaign for the 26-year-old Manchester City star.
