Euro 2020: Croatia captain Luka Modric says home crowds give England unfair advantage
- Published
England manager Gareth Southgate singles out Croatia as key opponents at Euro 2020
Euro 2020: England v Croatia - Group D |
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Date: Sunday, 13 June. Kick-off: 14:00 BST Venue: Wembley Stadium. Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, with build-up from 13:00 BST; Listen to live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live; Text commentary, goal clips, highlights, reaction and report on the BBC Sport website. |
Croatia captain Luka Modric says England have an "unfair advantage" at Euro 2020 because all three of their Group D games are at Wembley Stadium.
The Three Lions host Croatia at the national stadium on Sunday in a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
Wembley will also host England's other two group games against Scotland on 18 June and the Czech Republic on 22 June.
"Everyone would say teams at home with a crowd, that there is a slight advantage," Modric told the BBC.
For the first two group matches, the capacity at Wembley will be 22,500. Wembley will also host two of the last-16 ties and both semi-finals and the final.
Asked if thought England had an unfair advantage in the tournament, Real Madrid midfielder Modric added: "I think so, yes.
"It's a shame there won't be a lot of Croatia supporters because we always feel their presence when they are there.
"But it is how it is. We need to focus on the pitch and don't get bothered about the environment."
2018 World Cup: Modric's 'magnificent' strike doubles Croatia's lead
Modric helped Croatia beat England 2-1 in Moscow three years ago to deny Gareth Southgate's team a place in the Word Cup final.
Since then, the sides have met twice in the Nations League, with England winning 2-1 in November 2018 after the two sides had drawn 0-0 one month earlier.
Modric, 35, believes England are one of the favourites for Euro 2020.
"I rate them very highly," he added.
"For sure, they are one of the favourites for this tournament. That doesn't mean we are not going there to try to play a great game and try to get a result.
"We have showed in the past we can do that and we know how to play against England. Hopefully we can show it again on Sunday."