Croatia carries around one of the best midfields in the 2018 World Cup. With two world-class playmakers in Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, as well as three tremendously skilled professionals Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic and Milan Badelj, “Vatreni” should be able to patrol the middle of the pitch against almost any opponent. Yet, judging by how the qualification process went, Croatia is far from perfect. Heavily favored to win the group, it finished second behind Iceland and had to get past Greece in a two-leg playoff, in order to go to Russia.
Head coach Zlatko Dalic is not seen as a man who can guide this team to greatness and has plenty of skepticists back in his home country. Croatia’s miraculous run during the 1998 World Cup (finished third) got an entire nation on its feet and substantially raised the bar of expectations. This generation is even better, yet it hasn’t been able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Back in 2012, “Kockice” failed to move past the group stage in the European Championship organized by Poland and Ukraine, although to their defense, they were given a tough draw with Spain and Italy. The story was similar during the 2014 World Cup, when Mexico eliminated Croatia in the last group game with a 3-1 win in Recife. Things were looking good in Euro 2016, when the Croats topped Group D, getting their revenge on Spain, who finished second. However, they ran into the eventual champion Portugal in the Round of 16, losing to a Ricardo Quaresma 117th minute extra-time goal.
Source: www.pulse.ng
Croatia World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Gent), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb).
Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), Ivan Strinic (Sampdoria), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Josip Pivaric (Dynamo Kiev), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg).
Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan), Filip Bradaric (Rijeka).
Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), Nikola Kalinic (AC Milan), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Marko Pjaca (Schalke), Ante Rebic (Eintracht Frankfurt).
Croatia squad fixtures:
21:00 – Croatia vs. Nigeria (Saturday, 16 June)
20:00 – Croatia vs. Argentina (Thursday, 21 June)
20:00 – Croatia vs. Iceland (Tuesday, 26 June)
Croatia squad group stage
Croatia’s all-night schedule begins on June 16 against Nigeria. The Africans also have one of the best generations in their history, so work will be cut out for Dalic’s men. Making light work of their adversary will release the pressure before facing Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Then, it’s off to Rostov to take on old qualification foe Iceland. With a quality goalkeeper in Monaco’s Danijel Subasic, an experienced defence led by Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren, an equally experienced attack led by Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Perisic, plus underrated forwards in Andrej Kramaric and Ante Rebic, Croatia is certainly capable of progressing through this group and repeating
what it did in 1998.
Croatia squad world cup odds: 33/1 (33.00)
The 33/1 odds makes Croatia the No. 10 favorite the win the 2018 World Cup.