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The Croatians have been on fire during this year's World Cup. They have been relentless and have been on a roll. The Golden Generation of Croatian football has some of the best midfielders in the world, in the form of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mateo Kovacic. They also have experienced forwards, Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Perisic.
The Balkans started their tournament on a bright note, defeating Nigeria 2-0. Luka Modric converted the penalty opportunity into a goal while the other one was an own goal. Their next match was against Argentina and they shocked a lot of people as they defeated them with a scoreline reading 3-0. Modric, Rakitic and Rebic scored one goal each in this match.
Croatia played a second string team in Iceland in their last group game and won the encounter 2-1. Ivan Perisic and Milan Badelj scored a goal each as they defeated Iceland. They took on Denmark in the Round of 16 and won the match in the penalty shootout. Denmark started the game by scoring a goal in the 1st minute itself. Mandzukic match Denmark by scoring one in the 3rd minute.
The match went into extra time after the scoreline remained the same for the next 85 minutes or so. The Balkans could have won the match in the Extra time itself had Modric not missed a penalty chance in the 114th minute. In the end, Croatia won the match, courtesy Danijel Subasic's heroics in the shootout. Here we look at 4 reasons as to why Croatia can win the coveted FIFA World Cup.
#4 Goalkeeper- Danijel Subasic
Subasic has been one of the best players for Croatia in this tournament as he has conceded only 2 goals and kept 2 clean sheets. He even kept a clean sheet against Argentina which possesses world-class forwards like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Paolo Dybala. The Monaco goalie saved three penalties during the penalty shootout against Denmark in the Round of 16.
He also equalled Ricardo's record for the most no. of saves since the 2006 World Cup. However, he wasn't awarded the Man of the Match as it was given to Denmark's goalkeeper, Kasper Schmeichel. He will play a key role for The Balkans in this tournament and hopefully, he can deliver a solid performance and support the defence.
#3 Form of Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic
They are 2 of the best forwards to have represented Croatia. They have been selfless servants for The Balkans throughout their careers. They have played a combined total of 156 matches and scored 50 goals along with quite a few assists. The star forwards have played starring roles for Croatia in this World Cup.
Ivan Perisic scored the winner against Iceland in their last group game, with the winner coming in the 90th minute that broke Iceland hearts. Mario Mandzukic scored the equalizer against Denmark in the 3rd minute, in the all-important Round of 16 clash.
They are the key strikers in a team and are nearly as important as Modric. Both the forwards will be key to Croatia's chances of qualifying and winning the World Cup.
#2 Midfield
The Balkans are well known for their strong midfield prowess having produced some quality midfielders over the past decade or so. They have quality players like Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mateo Kovacic.
Rakitic and Modric have proven themselves at the biggest stage time and again, they have scored a combined 3 goals in this tournament so far. Although Kovacic hasn't had a lot of game time, he will be crucial for them moving forward.
Ivan Perisic has been deployed as a midfielder in most of the games and has been successful. Badelj has also been good for them as he has contributed with an assist and a goal. Croatia's hopes will hinge on how their midfielders perform as their best players are all present in that region.
#1 Experience
Croatia has something that not all teams in the quarterfinals have, experience. Their squad is a very experienced one and it will come in handy to soak up the pressure in knockout games. The squad has a total average of 41 games per player and that shows the amount of experience they have.
Players like Mandzukic, Modric and Rakitic have won many trophies with their clubs and all that experience will come in handy. The Croatians have all the ingredients in their squad and their experience and talent could prove to be a deciding factor in the pressure games.
On the whole, Croatia has a strong squad and is a firm contender to win the World Cup right now. They will play their quarter-final against Russia and expect them to win that match, even though, Russia have been a force to reckon with. Their semi-final clash could be against England and a possible summit clash against France.
This is Croatia's best chance of winning the World Cup and expect them to be a tough team for their oppositions in knockouts.
