England’s players have been sent footage of last year’s clash between Barcelona and Las Palmas at a deserted Nou Camp ahead of playing Croatia in the Nations League behind closed doors.
Three months after meeting in the World Cup semi-finals in a packed Luzhniki Stadium, the surroundings for Friday’s encounter could scarcely be more different.
The Nations League match will be played behind closed doors at Stadion HNK Rijeka as Croatia complete a stadium ban imposed by UEFA for having a swastika on the pitch in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy.
Southgate’s players have been sent video of last October’s LaLiga match between Barcelona and Las Palmas.
The game was played at an empty Nou Camp after a request to have the game postponed, amid widespread political unrest and violence in Catalonia, was turned down.
England land in Croatia on Thursday for the match in Rijeka and then head on to Seville at the weekend for Monday’s match against Spain.
