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#1 Mario Mandzukic vs John Stones
I think it's safe to say that the Croatian forward has been an absolute engine throughout this tournament. This is Croatia's third consecutive game that went into extra time and they just don't seem to be running out of any fuel.
Mario Mandzukic is instrumental to the way Croatia transition from defence to attack, with the striker often switching between roles that see him floating across the pitch or playing as a true target man.
His diagonal runs across the pitch was a constant problem for not just John Stones. The domino effect also saw Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire often confused when it comes to negating the influence of the Croatian forward line.
In fact, his presence in the box ensured that both the centre-backs had their sole focus on him, allowing Perisic to dart into the box and connect with the cross before Walker could completely react for Croatia's first goal.
He will be remembered as the man who hammered the final nail in the coffin for the Three Lions. With an aerial ball floating in dangerously, Walker was once again too late to react to it and John Stones was caught ball-watching. A smart run resulted in a goal that sent the Croatian fans into raptures.
Do you think Croatia can pip France to win the World Cup? Tell us in the comments below!
