Football
Liam Twomey, Chelsea correspondent 5y

England's Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford 'scary' - Eric Dier

LONDON -- England will go into next summer's UEFA Nations League semifinals with a "really scary" front three after coming back from a goal down to beat Croatia 2-1 on Sunday, according to Eric Dier.

Gareth Southgate's men were heading for relegation from Group A4 when Andrej Kramaric's deflected shot put Croatia ahead against the run of play in the 57th minute at Wembley, but they did not dwell on the setback and, roared on by a sellout home crowd, turned the tide.

Jesse Lingard levelled the match from close range in the 78th minute after Harry Kane had poked Joe Gomez's long throw beyond Lovre Kalinic, and Kane then stretched to divert Ben Chilwell's free-kick into the bottom corner to send England through from a group that also included Spain.

After the match Dier paid tribute to Tottenham teammate Kane, but added that Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford -- who consistently panicked the Croatia defence with their speed and direct running -- provide ideal support for England's primary goal threat.

"I think it is really scary," Dier said of England's front three. "You have got three players who I think complement each other really well. Of course, Harry we know. Raheem is playing at such a high level now as well. Marcus is really kicking on.

"All three of them have fantastic quality. Their work rate is fantastic, which is something people probably won't talk about as much. The way they work for the team, track back. Raheem was making such important defensive actions towards the end of the game.

"Those things are just as important. All three of them have a fantastic attitude, they are brave and direct. It is really positive for us."

England refused to accept suffering more misery at the hands of Croatia just four months after the World Cup semifinal clash between the two teams, and Dier believes the unwavering support of the home fans -- many of whom fell back in love with the team during last summer's fairytale run to the semifinals in Russia -- played a key role in the fightback.

"We believe in what we are doing," he added. "We believe in ourselves and the manager has really instilled that. We feel that within the group. I felt like even when we went 1-0 behind, there was a lot of positivity on the pitch. In the crowd as well.

"They were pushing us on in a really positive way, which maybe hasn't been the way in the past. So we really felt that and that's so important if we are to continue going forward and to be a really good side.

"It has been a very special year for the England team. The World Cup, the game in Spain, the penalty [shootout] against Colombia, all those moments. There hasn't been a year like it for a long, long time.

"We are going to play another semifinal in the space of two years, in another competition. It is fantastic for us and a good experience for us. The most important thing is to use it in the best way possible now."

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