Cap record-breaker Kane scores again in game of few fireworks : Your quick digest to England v Croatia
Nations League
England (1) 2 Rogers 24, Kane pen 64
Croatia (0) 1 Sucic 59
In a nutshell: An evening that threatened to be overshadowed by the Harry Kane tributes took a while to get going but Morgan Rogers stabbed in a volleyed Jude Bellingham cross to get England up and running.
Sloppy play at a corner saw England surrender their lead just before the hour as Jarell Quansah's weak header back towards Jordan Pickford was seized upon by Petar Sucic, who clipped the ball into the roof of the net.
But in the very next attack, VAR called in a foul on Quansah by Ivan Smolcic at a corner, allowing Kane to smack a penalty down the middle for his 92nd goal for the nation.
A fair outcome? England were very much in second gear. Maybe there was an element of self-preservation ahead of the weekend trip to Spain coming up in the final group match.
The context: After the humiliating 7-0 slaughter at the hands of Engalad a few months ago in Rijeka, this game was all about the bid to restore pride for the shell-shocked Croats. For England it was all about looking for the point - as a minimum - that would see them progress in the competition.
Before kick-off, Peter Shilton handed a special award to mark Kane passing his record of 125 England caps, with Prince William presenting a commemorative shirt to the Three Lions skipper and opposition great Luka Modric also offering a keepsake to the man of the moment.
Was it entertaining: Not really. It felt like we were all going through the motions - players and spectators alike.
Who did well for England: Even in a low-stakes clash like this, Jude Bellingham looks imperious and dangerous. His movement always threatens to create spaces and chances. Eliot Anderson again showed why he has become so integral to Tuchel's team, while Lewis Hall also continued to advance his standing.
London angle: Declan Rice (Arsenal) and Rogers (Chelsea) were in the starting XI. Rice was a usual swashbuckling source of good carries into opposition territory. Rogers got himself on the scoresheet.
Arsenal were represented on the bench too, with Ben White and Eberechi Eze in standby mode. White came on for Trent Alexander-Arnold for the final quarter. Fulham's Josh King was also among the subs. He didn't get on but will no doubt be happy to be part of the squad.
Wembley atmosphere: Mostly a reverential silence, apart from in the away corner, where the Croatian fans supplied the energy. But the flat nature of the match was reflected in the subdued stands.
Line ups:
England (4-3-3): Pickford - Alexander-Arnold (White 77), Burn, Hall - Anderson, Rice (Garner 77), Bellingham - Rogers, Kane, Gordon (Ngumoha 77)
Croatia (3-4-2-1): Livakovic - Stanisic, Vuskovic, Gvardoil - Smolcic (Pasalic 76), Misic (Modric 76), Kovacic (Majer 90), Vlasic - Sucic (Pasalic 70), Baturina - Matanovic (Budimir 70)
Attendance: 80,484
What comes next: Thomas Tuchel's team will conclude their Nations League group campaign in Madrid on Sunday. After that comes a two-legged quarter-final in March.
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