Midfield will tilt key match in Croatia’s favour: Kraljevic

SINGAPORE — Croatia were one of the standout teams in the first round of Euro 2016 group matches, and impressed in their 1-0 win against Turkey last week.

Tonight, they have a chance to seal their place in the last 16 of the competition if they can beat a deflated Czech Republic side, who suffered a last-gasp defeat to Spain after putting in a spirited defensive display.

TODAY caught up with Balestier Khalsa head coach Marko Kraljevic, who picked out three players he feels will be pivotal to a Croatian victory in this exciting Group D encounter.

RAKITIC’S THE MAIN MAN

During Croatia’s win against Turkey, Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric snared the Man of the Match award for his commanding display from a deep-lying midfield role and his stunning winning goal from long range.

But tonight, Kraljevic is expecting another one of Croatia’s Spanish Primera Division stars, Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, to step up and deliver.

“If you look at the last game, both of them did well, but Modric had a bigger influence as he had more ball possession,” said the Croatian coach.

“But I believe Rakitic will be the chief influencer this time around because he is much quicker and thrives in that No 10 role.

“The result of the match will largely be down to how he links up with striker Mario Mandzukic.”

BRO, HE CAN PLAY ANYWHERE!

Marcelo Brozovic is one of the most versatile players at Euro 2016. The 23-year-old central midfielder can play across midfield. Against Turkey, he was a constant menace when deployed on the right wing, and Kraljevic reckons the Czechs will find it tough to deal with him.

“Brozovic is one of the up-and-coming players in Croatian football and is extremely talented,” said the 51-year-old. “He can play in various positions and, at times, his movements were very hard to track. I believe this will cause the Czech Republic plenty of problems.

“One strong point is that Brozovic can link up well with everyone, no matter where he is asked to play. As a coach, he is a dream player to have.”

PJACA’S ONE TO WATCH

Dubbed as the next Croatian star back in his home country, 20-year-old winger Marko Pjaca is heavily tipped to impress at Euro 2016. He came on as a late substitute against Turkey, but Kraljevic believes he can make a game-changing impact even off the bench, if given the chance against the Czech Republic.

“Without a doubt, Pjaca’s is the next rising star for Croatian football because he has lots of potential,” he said. “He won’t start all of the matches as he is still young and has a lot to learn. But, even as a substitute, he can be a potential game changer.

“If given the chance, his pace could be too much to handle for an ageing Czech defence. Maybe coach Ante Cacic will look to him as a possible option from the bench if Croatia need a goal.”

PREDICTION

“This will be a harder game than the first one because the Czech Republic have many talented players,” said Kraljevic. “Defensively they have the ability to keep things tight, like they showed against Spain.

“However, I believe this match will be won in midfield where Croatia, with the likes of Modric, Rakitic and Ivan Perisic, have too much quality. They will control the match and I can see a 2-0 win for Croatia.”

TV LISTING

CZECH REPUBLIC vs CROATIA

Singtel TV Ch142 & StarHub TV Ch220, 11.50PM