Croatia stunned Argentina 3-0 to book a place in the Round of 16 for the first time since 1998…
Croatia got their 2018 World Cup Campaign under way in great fashion, as a totally dominant performance saw them come out 2-0 victors against Nigeria. Their next match was against the two-time World Champions Argentina, whose hopes were all down to their star man Lionel Messi. Argentina themselves did not have a great opening match against Iceland as Lionel Messi’s miss from the spot proved pivotal in deciding the outcome of the game. Jorge Sampaoli side could only manage a point against the Scandinavian country.
Nonetheless, Argentina stepped into the match as the favourites to get their first win in Russia and take a huge leap towards the next round. Croatia, However, had a plan of their own. Their excellence in the midfield ran riot against La Albiceleste who seemed to be playing without any plan and were relying only on Messi to work his magic and see them through as he did during the qualifiers.
A poor first half from both sides saw them head into the half-time break goalless. Croatia defended well to keep Messi and co. at bay, and did not allow them to have many any clear chance of scoring. A horrendous error from goalkeeper Willy Caballero, filling in for the injured Sergio Romero, gifted Ante Rebic the chance to give the Vatreni the lead in the second half. Rebic finished in extravagant fashion and saw Croatia lead at the hour mark. Argentina began to panic and sometimes, it seemed as if they were playing without any midfield.
Croatia book their place in the last 16 of the #WorldCup with a comprehensive victory
For more match stats — https://t.co/U10IpxEo78 pic.twitter.com/50FvnIWZBo
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) June 21, 2018
Five players at the back and five players in front for Argentina gave the opportunity to players like Rakitic, Modric, and Brozovic to dominate the midfield which in turn led to Croatia dictating the whole game. Argentina’s lack of a defined system presented Luka Modric with time and space just behind the 30 yard mark, which saw the Real Madrid man thump a beauty past Cabellero. Rakitic buried the match by putting the ball into the Argentinian net with ease, capping off a fine display for Croatia which ensured their place in the Round of 16 for the first time since they finished third in France 1998.
The second ‘Golden Generation’ of Croatian players is following in the footsteps of the first generation. In the 1998 World Cup, they were led by the infamous Davor Šuker, and this time around they have another talismanic Real Madrid player in Luka Modric to inspire them. The midfield duo of Rakitic and Modric stole the show and Argentina looked devoid of players of that calibre. Their strategy was simply to win the ball back and somehow get it to Messi. The defence, led by centre-back Lovern, did a fantastic job of not allowing Messi to get into the game and cut off all the support to him. This was the first time ever that a Croatian side managed to beat a South American team at the World Cup.
Croatia’s 3-0 win against Argentina was their first ever win against a CONMEBOL side at the #WorldCup
Not a bad way to do it. 😏 pic.twitter.com/JmBQAVievt
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 21, 2018
Croatia are out to surprise everyone, just as they did in 1998, when they finished third in their greatest ever performance in the World Cup. With the quality and experience of the squad they possess, there is no denying they can upset the bigger teams in the competition. The Vatreni stunned Germany 3-0 in the quarter-final stages 20 years ago before losing to hosts and eventual winners France 2-1 in the semi-final, and ultimately finishing third in a 2-1 win against the Netherlands.
With two wins in two, and the rest of the teams struggling for qualification, Croatia are tipped to top the group and get a favourable draw against the second placed team in Group C. Keeping in view the developments in Group C, France are most likely to top the group and Croatia shouldn’t have too many issues against the likes of Denmark or Australia. If the Vatreni can give a repeat of their performance against Argentina in the latter stages of the World Cup, they can surely raise a few eyebrows and and fulfil their status as the biggest underdogs in the World Cup.