Croatia achieved a memorable victory over Morocco and secured the bronze medal in the process. The repeat of the goalless Group F draw was a tense affair, with both teams having their moments, but Croatia once again held their nerves courtesy of some stringent defending in the second half. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
Croatia’s midfield is their biggest strength, and they had their fair share of possession here while struggling to threaten in forward areas. Argentina were happy to let this happen, knowing that they were sharper in attack. Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez were the stars of this match, sharing three goals between them as Argentina eased […]
Breaking into the samba dance had built the perfect tournament momentum for Brazil, but how momentum can be killed by the Croatians. Tite adjusted but had no solution against a midfield that rhymes and restricts so comfortably. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. On knockout soil, the war of attrition can become […]
Croatia advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup as they secured the victory by winning the penalty shootout. Both teams scored a goal each, but ultimately the occasion and the pressure that came with the shootout proved too much for Japan. Dominik Livaković’s three saves from the spot kick will go down in […]
Belgium’s struggles continued, and although they showed improvement from their last two games, Roberto Martínez’s side are knocked out from the group stages for the first time since 1998. Croatia took a cautious approach, but it paid dividends as they progressed to the round of sixteen at the expense of a devastated Belgian side. Tactical […]
In a replay of the 2018 World Cup final, Group 1’s bottom two outfits sought to recapture the indomitability that defined their success. In the end, the toughness of the Croatians triumphed. Sitting in a deep block, they frustrated the hosts and ended their Nations League title defense. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel […]
The clash of two methodical setups on a mild afternoon in Copenhagen gave the impression that Spain’s match with Croatia would be a terse affair. But, the contest could not have gone any more differently. In a matchup of needless excitement, blunders from the back and suspect game management gave way to one of the […]
England came into the game with a positive attitude and proactive tactical plan, which saw them dominate the game in the opening period, featuring some good left sided combinations and attacks into depth, as well as strong pressing. Croatia’s midfield were able to bring calm to the game temporarily, however, Raheem Sterling’s goal early in […]
In a repeat of the 2018 World Cup final, France took a win by moments of technical brilliance and intense effective pressing, while they let Croatia dominate possession for significant periods. The guests appeared tactically prepared and ready to take advantage of France’s weaknesses in their experimental 3-4-1-2 formation, but a few mistakes in the […]
Portugal began the battle for prolongation of their Nations League title with a convincing well-rounded display. The array of attacking talent at their disposal overwhelmed Croatia. The combination of their dynamic front players with the support of their marauding fullbacks proved too much. Their organized defensive shape was also enough to stifle Croatia’s ball progression […]