Impressive England look set to go all the way

Forget correct-score bets, first goalscorer or any other market that might grab your attention going into the semi-final showdown in Moscow – just get on England.

I think they are a cracking bet to beat Croatia and make it into Sunday’s final, where they would be my clear favourites.

Put simply, England have been the team of the tournament and are playing better than anyone else.

There’s no need for any sort of inferiority complex when you are playing well and I’m sure Gareth Southgate and the players believe they are capable of beating anyone. They may not have done before but as every game is ticked off they are looking stronger, better and more like world champions.

That performance against Sweden in the last eight was an absolute triumph.

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There will always be people who pick holes in opponents but you can only beat what’s in front of you. Never at any stage of that game did I think England wouldn’t win and there are very few matches when, even at 0-0, it’s that obvious who the winning team is going to be.

It was a completely professional effort from England who didn't give Sweden a sniff.

Yes, Jordan Pickford had to make a couple of outstanding saves but from the only chances given to Sweden, who were feeding off scraps. And I have no doubt that had England been pegged back and forced to step it up, they would have been able to do so.

They play with a pace and an imagination going forward, they have control of the midfield areas, bags of width and a defence that looks very hard to breach.

And once again they are coming up against a team they should be odds-on to beat. A couple of years ago I’d maybe have thought differently about this fixture, but not now.

Croatia have been fairly ordinary so far if you can be ordinary getting to a World Cup semi-final.

They had one rock-solid showing against Argentina during the group phase but as the games have ticked by they’ve looked more and more jaded.

Luka Modric is 32 and far less likely to be a major influence especially as the game drags on while Mario Mandzukic is nothing like the striker he was a few years back.

Ante Rebic has been their one shining light and that doesn’t surprise me after the fine season he has had under compatriot Niko Kovac at Eintracht Frankfurt. Kovac is now manager of Bayern Munich and it’s absolutely no surprise that they are showing interest in signing the player.

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Spotlight on England

But elsewhere there are issues. Dejan Lovren has been getting it in the neck all season for his performances at Liverpool and could be a liability against Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling.

As a Liverpool defender Lovren knows all about the merits (and dangers) of set-pieces. They are an integral part of the Premier League and obviously a key facet of this England side.

It would be unjust to suggest England are set-piecing their way to world glory – they’ve got far more about them than that – but it’s an area of serious strength, is constantly being worked on by Southgate, his coaching staff and his players, and it’s been a part of the game where they have had an edge throughout the tournament.

Delivery has to be good and with England it is. Two more headed goals saw off Sweden and that aerial threat is sure to unsettle the Croats.

Southgate will have been planning meticulously for this tie. Against Sweden he knew what he needed to do; he wanted to stretch the game, make the pitch big, drag their players out of position. There were commentators who suggested Sweden would be cute to that danger, endeavour to keep the game tight and frustrate England.

But it was Southgate’s ploy that worked largely because his players had the belief to go out there and execute.

I might be sounding like a stuck record, but I’m so impressed by what I’m seeing from England.

They win tonight and they’re my favourites on Sunday.

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