World Cup 2018: 5 players who could decide the game as Argentina face Croatia

#4 Luka Modric

Modric scored a penalty for his side against Nigeria

The Croatian captain has made over 100 appearances for his nation and is undoubtedly one of the most experienced players in the match-up. His side cruised past Nigeria and is certainly up to the task as they face the Argentinians.

According to Croatia's manager, Zlatko Dalic, the match against the South Americans would be the 'easiest' for his side as they had nothing to lose. It would be the ideal time for the Real Madrid midfielder to shine once again.

The central midfielder is particularly strong in dribbling and passing. He has been instrumental in helping his team both attack and defend.

Modric won't be unfamiliar to Messi's style of play, considering that both of them are regular players for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. It will be interesting to watch which side will win the midfield battle as it could easily decide which way the game could go.

However, previous matches have shown that having a higher possession does not mean getting a better scoreline.

As seen from Argentina's first match against Iceland, the Scandinavian country spent the entire second-half defending and had no shots at all but they managed to equalize from a counter-attack effort in the first 45 minutes.

Modric would have to take advantage of his skills and expertise, then combine with his team members and make use of every chance given to them.