The point from a disappointing clash was enough for Newcastle to move back into third place in the standings above Manchester United, who play Arsenal on Sunday.
Browsing: Kieran Trippier
Marcelo Bielsa’s side edged a thrilling contest with West Ham United 3-2 last time out, while the Magpies were forced to settle for a point against Watford.
The Magpies have already secured Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid and Chris Wood from Burnley in the January window.
Sterling broke through the middle of the Croatian defence and ran onto the end of a pass from Kalvin Phillips to fire home his 57th minute marker and get England off to a winning start in Group D.
The victory took the capital side up to third in the standings following an action-packed game in which three goals were scored in the space of five minutes.
The England international, who arrived in north London from Burnley for £5 million four years ago, has penned a four-year contract with the Liga giants.
Tottenham Hotspur full-back, Kieran Trippier, has withdrawn from the England squad for matches against the United States and Croatia due to a groin injury, the Football Association said on Tuesday.
Just 92 seconds were needed for the visitors to edge in front
Late goals from Kieran Trippier and Harry Kane have earned Tottenham Hotspur a 3-1 victory over Fulham in Saturday’s Premier League clash at Wembley Stadium.
“We’re gutted. It hurts, it hurts a lot,” Kane said after the match at the Luzhniki Stadium
An energy-sapping epic went the distance after Ivan Perisic had cancelled out Kieran Trippier’s early opener, with both sides missing chances to put the game to bed before the additional 30 minutes
Defeat for Manchester City earlier in the day opened the door for the Lilywhites to move up one position, and they were able to do exactly that thanks to a sixth win on the bounce in all competitions