The Croatians here by the Adriatic did their best to make this rivalry feel the way it used to. They filled this tiny little stadium with thousands of schoolkids to get round the fact this was supposed to be a behind closed doors game.

In the crowd on the far side some of the children even held up a banner.

‘It’s not coming home,’ it read, in reference to a familiar Croat poke at perceived English arrogance.

They even had a familiar face on the touchline. After an absence of 14 years, Slaven Bilic – architect of his country’s most famous victory over England at Wembley in 2007 – was back in charge of Croatia.

But out there on the grass, out where it mattered, Thomas Tuchel’s brilliantly enterprising and energetic England humiliated, embarrassed and shamed their opponents on a quite remarkable night for both nations.

They outplayed them, out thought them, out ran them and frankly ruined them. They won by seven when it could have been a dozen.

Children in the stands. Men against boys on the field. What a night for Tuchel’s team.

So, yes, this seems to be a rivalry that’s now over. Dismantled 4-2 by England at the World Cup in June, Croatia fielded eight of that line up here, including 41-year-old Luka Modric. But this is a Croatia team on the wane. England, despite last weekend’s defeat to world and European champions Spain, are suddenly trending spectacularly in the right direction.

Bellingham was head and shoulders above the rest and has cemented his position as the player around whom the future of this England team will now surely be built

England were magnificent, with this probably their best football under Tuchel

The presence of more than 6,000 children – along with endless parents and coaches – seemed a little bit like a V-sign to UEFA. It’s in the regulations but even so. This game was supposed to be played in an empty stadium because of alleged far-Right behaviour by Croat supporters.

This in no way felt like a punishment and all that can be hoped is that the Croatian youngsters enjoyed their evening out watching the likes of Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon.

England were, it must be said, absolutely fabulous. Magnificent, even. This was probably their best football under Tuchel and for some long while prior to that. Yes, Croatia were woeful with a back line so square Kane could have parted his hair with it.

But they are the 14th ranked team in the world so still England had to play their football and they did so with a hunger and a tempo that made a mockery of the fact this four-game international period was supposed to be a test of their physical and emotional capacity.

Bellingham was once again head and shoulders above the rest and over the course of games against Spain, Czech Republic and now Croatia, the 23-year-old has cemented his position as the player around whom the future of this England team will now surely be built.

There were outstanding performances from Kane, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka and, on his first start, Bournemouth’s Alex Scott. But it was Bellingham who ran this game, easing his way through the Croatian midfield imperiously as though he owned it.

His first contribution of note was to free Gordon down the inside left channel in only the third minute.

That was to become a pattern and though Gordon was denied by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic on that occasion, he was given no chance five minutes later when Bellingham released Kane down the other side and the England captain drove his 88th international goal high into the roof of the net with his right foot.

Livakovic had conceded four against Spain earlier in the week and here the story of the night was set astonishingly early.

Croatia were no match for England in central areas – in terms of appetite as much as anything – while their back four was pierced monotonously by England’s deep runners.

The Croatians filled this tiny little stadium with thousands of schoolkids to get round the fact this was supposed to be behind closed doors game

Gordon was denied twice more in the ninth and 25th minutes – the second from point blank range – but in the middle of that he played his part in setting up England’s second. A Saka cross to the far post was slightly overhit but when Gordon pulled it down, he was criminally given all the time in the world to ease it square to Bellingham to tap it in.

Already there was a sense of inevitability about the game and indeed the result. Croatia showed no sign of a response. There were other near misses – one from Kane and a shot over from Elliot Anderson – before Jarell Quansah and Bellingham laid on simple finishes for Gordon – at last – Saka as half-time neared.

Around this time there was also a moment of vague comedy at the other end. Having finally mustered some impetus of their own, Croatia seemed set to at least score a goal but when Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic rounded Jordan Pickford eight yards out, he somehow sliced the ball wide.

With the game over by half-time, England could enjoy themselves. This was probably the first time Tuchel’s team had played without pressure since before the World Cup. Tuchel resisted the temptation to make changes at half-time while Bilic, perhaps understandably, did not. He made three.

His team were helpless, though. Helpless and hopeless. What was particularly embarrassing was that the goals kept coming the same way. Only eight minutes had gone in the second half when Anderson crossed low from the right and Kane slid the ball in at the far post. It seemed that the only ones here who couldn’t see the repeat patterns were the players in the red and white squares.

The sixth goal arrived with 22 minutes left as the Croatian defence presented the ball to Kane who presented it to Saka who slammed it in. On the touchline, Bilic was nowhere to be seen by now. He had taken refuge on the bench, seeking in vain some kind of shelter from the worst night of his life.

By the time he reappeared with three minutes to go, it was to see England substitute Morgan Rogers roll in number seven. That made this Croatia’s record ever defeat and by now many of the children in the stands had disappeared.

Homework must have felt preferable.