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England vs Croatia tips and predictions: Harry Kane to shine on record-breaking night

Football betting tips: Nations League

Harry Kane

1pt Harry Kane to score first at 5/2 (General)

1pt Kane to score 2+ goals at 14/5 (Coral)

0.5pt Kane to score a hat-trick at 10/1 (Sky Bet)

1pt Kane 1+ assists at 4/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

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Kick-off: 19:45 BST, Thursday

TV: ITV1

England have bounced back impressively from their heartbreaking World Cup semi-final exit to Argentina.

After winning a madcap third-place play-off against France 6-4 they went toe to toe with world and European champions Spain in their Nations League opener. Individual mistakes - crucial defensive errors by Marc Guehi and Nico O'Reilly and a missed Harry Kane penalty - ultimately proved decisive in a thrilling 3-2 defeat at Wembley.

Either side of an astonishing 7-0 win in Croatia, the Czech Republic were beaten 2-0 and 3-0 to mean in reality the Three Lions have already qualified for the Nations League quarter-finals and will officially do so by merely avoiding a seven-goal defeat on Thursday.

england v croatia

Thomas Tuchel's men still have plenty to play for as they look to keep hopes of topping the group alive ahead of Sunday's final group game in Madrid.

Last-eight ties are played over two legs so considering this is a tournament already heavily tiered there is no guaranteed advantage for group winners, although it is likely to mean avoiding probable Group A1 table-toppers France.

That ought to result in a full strength England line-up, with the only question mark being over Jude Bellingham who would miss the meeting with Spain were he to pick up a booking against Croatia. Guehi's withdrawal and O'Reilly's absence from the squad mean Bellingham is the only Three Lions player at risk. With cards not wiped until after the quarter-finals this match would've been the perfect time to serve a suspension, just as Myles Lewis-Skelly is doing.

Harry Kane (right) and Spain's Alexia Putellas

Harry Kane (right) and Spain's Alexia Putellas

Anyway, enough of the match context - this will be a night all about HARRY KANE.

As fate would have it, the England captain's first international match after winning the Ballon d'Or will see him become his country's most capped men's player, breaking Peter Shilton's longstanding record.

It feels impossible that on such a landmark night, against a Croatia team who have conceded 13 goals in their last three matches, Kane will not wreak havoc.

KANE TO SCORE FIRST (5/2) TO SCORE 2+ GOALS (14/5) and TO SCORE A HAT-TRICK (10/1) are all backed to appropriate stakes.

In six of the last 12 games in which he has scored for his country he has done so multiple times, and was a missed penalty away from another brace in defeat by Spain. He has also broken the deadlock in eight of the last 17 non-World Cup internationals he has started.

HARRY KANE

Finally, KANE 1+ ASSISTS (4/1) is also backed.

While he may have only assisted twice in his 11 international appearances since the start of the World Cup, the 33-year-old has recently burst into life as a creator for Bayern Munich.

After providing just eight in 56 games in all competitions and five in 31 Bundesliga matches last term, Kane has 11 assists in 13 top-flight and Champions League matches this season.

Odds correct at 14:30 BST (10/11/26)

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