Half-time postbag. “The sheer (unadulterated?) excitement from a stadium of 6,000 schoolkids is amazing. They should do this all the time” – Mark Hooper

“I’m aware this isn’t the hottest of takes, but Jude Bellingham really is exceptional. I’ve seen some thrilling players for England, but I don’t remember anyone with such a sense of inevitability. If we can’t win a big trophy with him, I’m not sure we ever will” – Tom Hopkins

“Modrič needs to retire gracefully. You wouldn’t find Cristiano embarrassing himself and his country like this” – Simon McMahon

34 min: Pickford’s poor pass out from the back is intercepted, and Kovačić, out left, nearly finds Sučić in the middle. But Scott intercepts and clears. Croatia come again, and Perišić crosses from the left. Pickford comes off his line and flaps, but he’s not punished for the error. A couple of timely reminders that England need to keep their concentration, else carelessly let Croatia back into the game.

9 min: … and it should be two, as Gordon romps down the left, racing clear of the Croatian back line. He’s got Saka in the middle, but opts to shoot, and his effort, aimed for the bottom right, is blocked by Livaković. You’d expect him to score, the form he’s in.

5 min: Sučić brings down Bellingham, risking an early booking. He doesn’t get one, though, and nothing comes of the resulting free kick. Meanwhile the Croatian crowd may be young, but they’ve clearly been well-schooled in trolling. Here’s their message for the England fans, courtesy of our man in Rijeka, Jacob Steinberg …

The teams are out! Croatia are in their red-and-white chessboard shirts, while England sport second-choice red. Beautiful, storied, world-famous tops showcased respectively in the 2018 and 1966 World Cup finals. Plenty of noise (albeit more high-pitched than usual) at the Stadion HNK Rijeka, where Croatia have never lost a competitive fixture. We’ll be up and running once the anthems have been parped. Oh, blue sea, tell the world how a Croat loves his people, God save Chas, etc.

Pre-match postbag. “The Rijeka cage is a fantastic away end despite looking so terrible. Was there last year for Rijeka versus Shelbourne. The police march you in, take any lighters you might have, then leave you alone in the cage. The view over the city makes the trek up the hills and the never-ending steps well worth it. And the nearby shop sells cheap beer. Perfection” – Steve Jones

“Of course I know nothing, but Modrić seems like a nice guy, a unifying figure who is adored by his country’s fans. Likewise other distinguished elder statesmen at the end of their careers such as Džeko, Lewandowski and McGinn. I’m sure CR7 is also lovely, but the playing on to reach 1,000 goals thing? Contrary to what McFly might think, it’s not all about you, Cristiano” – Simon McMahon

“Years ago Thibaut Courtois said that Pickford was too short to be an elite goalkeeper. Would some of Pickford’s acrobatic saves have been routine for a keeper of Trafford’s height and wingspan? Would Trafford have saved Fernandez’s shot?” – Gary Stover

Croatia: Livaković, Stanišić, Vušković, Gvardiol, Perišić, Modrić, Kovačić, Ivanović, Petar Sučić, Baturina, Musa.
Subs: Pandur, Kotarski, Smolčić, Šutalo, Kramarić, Vlašić, Pašalić, Jakić, Pašalić, Matanović, Luka Sučić, Mišić.

England: Pickford, Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, Hall, Anderson, Bellingham, Scott, Saka, Kane, Gordon.
Subs: Trafford, Steele, Alexander-Arnold, Chalobah, Ngumoha, Branthwaite, Lewis-Skelly, Rogers, Garner, Calvert-Lewin, Gibbs-White, Eze.