Harry Kane challenges Spain as England target Nations League top spot

Harry Kane kept England’s hopes of finishing top of their Nations League group alive by scoring the winning penalty in a 2-1 victory over Croatia at Wembley on Thursday.

The Bayern Munich striker, who was honoured before kick-off after winning the Ballon d’Or, converted from the spot to secure three points for the Three Lions. England must now beat Spain in their final group match on Sunday at the Metropolitano to overtake the current leaders.

Spain also completed their latest assignment with a 2-0 win over Czech Republic, leaving them three points clear at the top of Group C on 15 points. England are second on 12 points.

Speaking after the win over Croatia, Kane told Sport: “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 performing much better. We said to ourselves: we will win every game until the next meeting, 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 tribute he received before the match.

“The reception at the start of the game was a wonderful and incredible gesture,” he said. “But once the ball starts rolling, the most important thing is to win and take the three points.”

Assessing England’s performance, Kane said Croatia had provided a demanding test but felt his team had played well for much of the contest.

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

Kane was also asked about his mindset before taking the decisive penalty. He said: “It was as it always is. I missed my last penalty for Bayern Munich, so I think it is always important to try to make up for it with the next attempt.”

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

The England captain admitted his side had made the game more difficult by surrendering possession too frequently, particularly in their own half.

“I think we gave the ball away too easily, especially in our half, which slowed the tempo of the game a little,” he 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 some 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.”