Modric still casts a spell as Croatia win warm-up with England to come

• Croatia 2-1 Slovenia

• Modric scores on what could be last game on home turf

Luka Modric discarded his protective mask, accepted Zlatko Dalic’s congratulations and half-waved bashfully to a vigorously appreciative crowd. Had this really, finally, been his last official appearance on Croatian soil? The pre-match wisdom had certainly leaned that way, even though the home side’s ageless metronome has given little indication of his post-World Cup plans. It was a suitably romantic narrative to enliven a warm, woozy evening in the country’s far north and, as Modric returned to the bench shortly before the hour, he had already reminded any wandering England eyes of the gifts that still give scant sign of fading away.

Until Mario Pasalic’s spectacular volley, thrashed in with the game’s final action, nobody else had done much to stir local emotions. Croatia depart for the US with questions lingering about form, fitness and formation but at least they were waved on their way with a 2-1 win over a punchy and slightly unfortunate Slovenia. Warm-up games offer a flawed, fragmented picture by their nature but Modric’s putative send-off offered cover for a palpable fallibility that has infected Dalic’s side.

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