For the third time in the last seven World Cups, Croatia finished on the podium. In what could be a stepping stone for the 2018 finalists, but surely his last game on the biggest stage, Luka Modric bows out a winner.
He was on top form until the end as Morocco’s magical run fizzled out in the first half, with Josco Guardiola and Mislav Orcic pipping Croatia to another third-place finish, meaning they will join the best 1998 team with bronze medals in their collection.
These games can go one of two ways, heavy-footed and disastrous internationals stumble into an occasion they don’t want to be anywhere else (quite understandable in the case of a mid-season World Cup) or both teams take it upon themselves to depart the world stage with a flourish. It was immediately apparent that these two would deliver the latter, with Ivan Perisic flicking the initial delivery wide of goal for Josco Guardiola to dive for a defiantly designed free kick.
Their lead lasted less than two minutes. Morocco’s equalizer was far less elegant, no less effective. Hakeem Ziyech’s delivery didn’t clear the second man, but a Croatian header spun the ball in the air and Achraf Dari determined its flight and tucked it in. Both sides had a second chance before half-time, Akraf Hakimi crossed. He was waiting to fly into the empty net behind Youssef N-Neziri, but Croatia took it.
It was one of Arcic’s best goals in the tournament. Finding space on the left side of the penalty area, he opened his body and struck a lob that slotted roughly past Yassin Bouunou’s far post, only for the Moroccan goalkeeper to be caught as the ball deflected into his net at the far post.
Morocco’s legs may have tired in the second half, where they went just 10 minutes without injury, but they still chased the tie, N-Nessiri making a superb save from Dominik Livakovic minutes after Sofyan Amrabat tripped at Guardiola. In his own area. Even as En-Nesyri edged closer to a last-gasp title, Croatia’s ability to command possession for long periods saw them grind down their opponent’s reserves of energy and ease the finish line of another outstanding World Cup campaign.
