15/05 - 19:30
15/05 - 20:00
15/05 - 20:00
15/05 - 19:30
15/05 - 20:00
15/05 - 20:00
15/05 - 20:00
Croatia sealed third-place after an entertaining 2-1 win over Morocco with Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Oršić on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win.
Action: This game couldn’t have been more different from the mind-numbingly boring goalless draw between the two sides at the start of the tournament.
Both sides were praised for their defensive work that got them as far as the third-placed play-off but none of that was on display in the opening ten minutes.
It took just seven minutes for Croatia to open the scoring. A well-worked free-kick was headed superbly by Ivan Perišić with Josko Gvardiol on-hand to head the ball past Yassine Bono.
Croatia’s lead lasted just two minutes. Another free-kick, this time taken by Hakim Ziyech, was headed on by Luka Modrić and fell kindly for Achraf Dari to level the scoring.
It was a first half with plenty of chances, helped by the fact that both sides were making uncharacteristic mistakes at the back – tiredness perhaps creeping in on two teams who have worked so hard to make it to this stage.
Zlatko Dalić’s side took the lead again in the 42nd minute. Morocco failed to clear their lines following a Croatia attack, allowing Marko Livaja to tee up Mislav Oršić. The Dinamo Zagreb forward floated a curling effort with his right foot that Bono could do nothing to stop.
Gvardiol had a shout for a penalty turned down when he went on a run out from the back. The young defender looked to have been tripped by Sofyan Amrabat but Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al-Jassim waved it away and VAR didn’t intervene.
It would have been even more interesting then if just seconds later Youssef En-Nesyri had put away his chance from close range but the Sevilla man wasn’t able to beat Dominik Livaković.
With time running out for Morocco, Yahia Attiyat-Allah floated in a cross from the left in the final seconds but En-Nesyri couldn’t convert the header which would have levelled the game at the death.
Instead, it’s Croatia who took third place while Morocco, history makers regardless of the result today, finished fourth.
Reaction: Croatia manager, Zlatko Dalić: "This is a bronze with a golden glow. This is a medal for all of our Croatia, for everyone who follows us and loves us all over the world."
Magic Moment: The brilliantly-worked free-kick that opened the scoring for Croatia. Perišić’s flick-on wasn’t easy and neither was the finish from Gvardiol but it came off wonderfully.
Man of the Match: Ivan Perišić played on the left of a back four and not only was the 33-year-old instrumental in the opening goal, the Spurs player was excellent defensively.
xG: Croatia (0.72) 2-1 (1.35) Morocco
Stat of the Day: Croatia have been involved in six World Cups in their history, winning medals on three occasions (runners-up in 2018, bronze medals in 1998 and 2022).
#CROATIA
— HNS (@HNS_CFF) December 17, 2022
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2-1 | ||
Josko Gvardiol 7' Mislav Orsic 42' | Achraf Dari 9' |
