Croatia have secured their first victory of Euro 2016 with a 1-0 victory against Turkey at the Parc de Princes on Sunday.
It was the opening match of Group D and both sides were keen to highlight their aggression early.
However it was the Croatians who enjoyed the majority of the posession with Turkish goalkeeper Volkan Babacan making several saves to keep his side in the match.
Croatia, lead by captain and veteran Dario Srna, came forward eagerly with the former as well as in-form star Ivan Perisic, hitting the framework on a few occasions. Indeed they dominated throughout the match with coach Fatih Terim’s men only creating few goalscoring opportunities.
Ozan Tufan had the best chance for his side but his header was saved much to the disappointment of the roaring Turkish supporters.
But it was Real Madrid star Luka Modric who gave his side the advantage towards the end of the first term with a superb volley from outside the area. The sole goal was enough to secure the points for Croatia ahead of their next clash with the Czech Republic.
Yet the Turks will be reeling from their at times lacklustre play and will need to be in full force when they face the reigning champions, Spain.
The magician that is Modric
Much was spoken about Modric prior to the tournament with the Madridista recently aiding his side in their 11th UEFA Champions League title.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Day Three of Euro 2016
For Real as for Croatia, he is an important player whose midfield expertise is of much value to coach Ante Cacic’s side. More importantly, he can produce moments of brilliance such as his sensational volley in the 41st minute of play.
He cleanly struck the ball from 25 yards following a high looping clearance from defender Selcuk Inan. Modric’s strike was fast as it was dipping, catching Babacan off guard who perhaps did not do his utmost to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net.
As their campaign progresses, the Croatian’s importance will be heightened and will be complimented by the efforts of the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Marcelo Brozovic as well as a the commanding play of his squad.
Turkey’s vulnerable defence
It was crucial for the Turkish side to have a solid yet compact defence in light of the attacking threat posed by their opponents. Indeed their defence was praised during their rough qualifying campaign and supporters hoped it would be the same in their opening tie.
However it was anything but with the Turks succumbing to the mounting pressure placed on them by the full-strength Croatian attack.
The defence opened up repeatedly, especially when counter-attacks were produced by their opponents, with tracking back being a big weakness. Turkey’s star players did not reach the heights expected of them as they were repeatedly frustrated by the aggression of the Croatians.
Barcelona star Arda Turan put on a disappointing display as his normally exceptional play-reading skills were off the radar for his time on the pitch.
Hakan Calhanoglu cut another lacklustre figure on the field with fans not seeing any of his stellar abilities which liken him to German Mesut Ozil.
Terim introduced Emre Mor around the 70-minute mark in what was seen as an attempt to use his dictating midfield skills to bail out his team.
Not an effective strategy as the team must regroup and refocus ahead of their clash with European giants, Spain.
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