Croatia defeated Scotland 3-1 in their last Group D fixture at the Hampden Park to advance to the Round of 16 stage at Euro 2020. Their head coach Zlatko Dalic is overjoyed by the side’s performance and especially, how they turned up in the second half.
“Congratulations to the lads for an effervescent performance that propelled us into the knockout rounds and we will now be ready for whoever comes our way in the last 16,” Dalic told a news conference.
“The most important thing is that we will be able to have our fans back because we are much stronger with them roaring us on from the terraces.”
Though Nikola Vlasic opened the scoring for the 2018 World Cup runners-up, the lead was soon cancelled by Scotland’s Callum McGregor just before half-time which sent the Hampden Park into a frenzy.
However, Croatia emerged strong out of the tunnel and seized matters in the second-half. Captain and legendary figure Luka Modric scored a wonderful goal using the outside of his boot from the edge of the box. Ivan Perisic extended Croatia’s lead in the 77th minute of the match and they held on to finish second in Group D behind group-toppers England.
Croatia played a match in London and two at Glasgow and only had a handful of supporters in the stands. Strict COVID-19 rules in UK deterred most Croatian fans from making the long trip to England and Scotland.
They will now face the Group E runner-up in Copenhagen.
It was widely reported in Croatian media that Dalic’s job was on the line had Croatia suffered an early exit from the competition. But the 54-year-old manager was relieved by the way his players showed up in the second half and delivered when it mattered the most.
“We were compact and although we let Scotland back into the game late in the first half, we talked things over at halftime and never lost our heads,” he said.
“It was a matter of time before we scored the second and what a fantastic goal by Luka, it’s amazing how he keeps going at this level. I am proud to have him as the team captain.”
Luka Modric was emotional after the win where he clearly stood out. His display reminded everyone his performances during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
“After tonight’s performance, we’d have been able to walk off the pitch with our heads high even if we had lost,” he told Croatia’s HRT state television broadcaster.
“The goal I scored means a lot to me and I am glad it helped us win, but the most important thing is that the whole team looked the part.”
