Harry Kane sets England sights on Spain showdown after Croatia win

Harry Kane says England have the “perfect opportunity” to prove their capabilities against Spain after his penalty secured a 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Nations League at Wembley on Thursday.

The Bayern Munich striker, who was honoured before kick-off following his Ballon d’Or triumph, converted the decisive spot-kick to keep England’s hopes of finishing top of the group alive. They must beat Spain in their final match on Sunday at the Metropolitano to overtake the reigning leaders.

Spain also completed their latest fixture with a 2-0 victory over Czech Republic, leaving them top of Group C with a maximum 15 points. England are second, three points behind.

Speaking after the win, Kane told the media: “Certainly, our aim is to finish top of the group.”

He added: “After the first game, when we lost to them here, we knew we were capable of putting in a much better performance. We said to ourselves: we will win all the games until the next meeting, and then we will see what happens.

“Now, on Sunday, we have the perfect opportunity to show what we are capable of achieving.”

Kane also thanked the England supporters for the reception he received before the match.

“The welcome at the start of the game was a wonderful and amazing gesture,” he said. “But once the ball starts rolling, the most important thing is winning and taking the three points.”

The England captain acknowledged that Croatia posed a difficult challenge, despite his side controlling much of the match.

“We faced a strong team that wanted to show what they could do tonight,” said Kane. “I think we played well for large parts of the game. We felt a little tired in the final minutes, but overall it was a great victory and gives us the chance to play a big game on Sunday.”

Kane said the penalty itself felt familiar, although he had missed his previous spot-kick for Bayern Munich.

“It was the same as always,” he said. “I missed my last penalty with Bayern Munich, so I think it is always important to try to make up for it with the next one.

“I try not to miss two penalties in a row and to take the kick well. I trained yesterday as usual, and now it is simply about going on to the pitch and putting in a good performance.”

The striker admitted England could have been more composed in possession, particularly in their own half.

“I think we gave the ball away too easily, especially in our own half, which slowed the pace of the game down a little,” Kane said.

“We had enough chances to score two or three goals, but we were up against a good team. We are currently going through a difficult run of matches with our clubs and national teams, so we cannot always expect everything to be perfect.

“We know we can improve in certain areas, and we will have to do that if we want to win on Sunday. But in the end, the most important thing is that we won tonight.”