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England and Croatia, who last met during the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, played out a 0-0 draw behind closed doors at the Stadion HNK Rijeka in their UEFA Nations League clash on Friday night. The game proved to be a cagey affair in the first half as both teams struggled to ignite the spark that would create the opening inside the opposition's final third.
However, the game opened up in the second half but the teams managed to salvage a point thanks to their miserable fortunes in front of goal. Both Eric Dier and Harry Kane were denied by the woodwork when the Three Lions threatened from set-piece routines while the hosts were kept at bay courtesy of some resilient defending from England.
Gareth Southgate will be the happiest of the two managers as he effectively avoided defeat in a tricky game away from home without losing second place in the standings. Both teams are yet to win their first game in the competition and are five points away from leaders Spain, who are pretty much the runaway leaders in Group 4.
The result meant that Zlatko Dalic's men could well face relegation from Group 4 in League A, if the barren run continues, due to their inferior goal difference. On that note, let's take a closer look at the best and worst performers from the UEFA Nations League clash in Croatia:
#5 Hit - Dominik Livakovic
The shot-stopper looked assured between the sticks for Croatia all-night and his concentration levels were never breached despite him being largely not involved during the first half. Dominik Livakovic showcased good command over his penalty area and was equally adept at dealing with aerial threats from set-pieces.
However, his stand-out contribution came in the second half when he denied Marcus Rashford a goal with a fantastic reflex save after the winger was played through by Raheem Sterling. Livakovic proved that he is an able deputy to Daniel Subasic with that performance and ensured that the hosts walked away with at least a point.
The 23-year-old custodian is quickly learning the tricks of the trade courtesy of his involvement with Dinamo Zagreb and will be aiming to build on his confidence after this result.
#4 Flop - Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker struggled at both ends of the pitch against Croatia and was cut out as a frustrating figure for the majority of the game. The Manchester City full-back was made to work hard defensively by the pace and physicality offered by Ivan Perisic and rarely enjoyed bombing forward with the ball in the first half.
Despite enjoying a bit more on the offensive side after the half-time break, Walker failed to make the best use of the ball and utilize possession barring the inch-perfect pass he made to Marcus Rashford, which the winger failed to convert. The 28-year-old looked nervy on a number of instances while defending and his end product inside the opposition's final third looked glaringly below average throughout the course of the game.
Walker could take heart from the fact that Gareth Southgate restored him to his natural position after adopting a back-four but the defender looked like a shadow of his former self at a few instances
#3 Hit - Ben Chilwell
Ben Chilwell, who made his first start for England against Croatia on the night, was excellent at left-back as he found the perfect balance between attack and defence down that flank for the visitors. The full-back offered good width while going forward and made a few good overlapping runs early on in the first half while also keeping a steady head whenever he had to help out at the back.
The 21-year-old was a reliable outlet down the left-hand side for the Three Lions and made a few crucial tackles that helped the visitors recycle possession effectively in the second half. Chilwell made a good impression on his full senior debut for England and could well be a strong contender for the national team's left-back position from now on if he can live up to the expectations that will be thrown up against him.
#2 Flop - Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford fluffed his lines not once but twice to help Croatia come out unscathed after what proved to be a long night for both sides due to varying but quite obvious reasons. The Manchester United winger was hardly involved in the proceedings during the first half and was left out as an isolated figure down the wide left-hand side of England's attacking trio.
The youngster was presented with two glorious opportunities in the second half that could have potentially helped the visitors clinch all three points but it was not meant to be for the player. Rashford scuffed a shot when he had just the goalkeeper to beat after Kyle Walker played a precise ball on to his path while it was the opposition's goal-keeper that denied him in a one-on-one situation for the second chance that came shortly thereafter.
It was truly a case of what could have been for Rashford and England as they will know that the win was there for the taking but they were unable to nick it in the end.
#1 Hit - Domagoj Vida
Domagoj Vida was a real leader at the back for Croatia on the night and despite coming under a lot of pressure during England's most dominant spell during the game, the centre-back remained unfazed and decided to stay robust in his approach. The defender complemented the back-four quite effectively and played a huge part in helping the hosts salvage a point in the end.
The 29-year-old was equally adept at bringing the ball out from the back as well and maintained his composure on the ball to come out on top almost all the time. Vida hardly put a foot wrong with respect to his positioning and showcased his excellent prowess in reading the game quite efficiently.
The defender was pretty much the glue that stuck together a resolute and organized back-four that proved almost impenetrable for the visitors despite their persistent efforts towards picking its lock.
