Bellingham & Alexander-Arnold feature in England's win over Croatia

Real Madrid pair Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold were both in action as England edged past Croatia 2-1 in Thursday night's UEFA Nations League clash.

Bellingham played the full 90 minutes in what proved a steady rather than spectacular outing for the midfielder. His deflected pass found Morgan Rogers, who scooped England into the lead, though the assist won't go down in the official records due to the deflection. The Madrid man also created what looked like a second assist for James Garner, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Across the match, Bellingham registered 67 touches and created two chances. He completed two dribbles, made two tackles and two recoveries, winning six of eight ground duels and two of three aerial battles. Decent numbers, if not quite the match-winning display England will need against tougher opposition.

Alexander-Arnold's 78-minute shift

Trent Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, was withdrawn after 78 minutes, making way for Ben White. The right-back touched the ball 64 times, completed one dribble, made three tackles, one clearance and two recoveries. He won five of his eight duels in what was a solid, if unspectacular, defensive shift.

Neither Madrid man set the game alight, but both did enough to help England secure three points in a match they were expected to win. The real test comes on Sunday when England face Spain, and both Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold will need to raise their levels significantly if the Three Lions are to come away with a result.

What it means for Real Madrid

With both players getting through 78-90 minutes without incident, Madrid will be relieved there are no fresh injury concerns ahead of a crucial run of fixtures. Bellingham's creativity remains evident even on a quiet night, while Alexander-Arnold continues to settle into his new surroundings after a difficult start in the Spanish capital.

Sunday's clash with Spain will offer a far sterner examination of both players' form. For Madrid, the hope is simply that they return to Valdebebas fit and ready for the challenges ahead, with neither player overexerting themselves in international duty.

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