CROATIA – BELGIUM | Thursday 4pm
It was originally supposed to be a “quiet” direct clash for first place, between two teams with qualification already in the bag. This Croatia-Belgium match will instead take on the contours of a survival challenge, mors tua vita mea, in which whoever emerges the loser will have to say goodbye to Qatar well in advance. And that would be a resounding failure for both the reigning world vice-champions Croatia and the Red Devils, who unlike the chequered selection have only one outcome available to them to advance to the round of 16: victory. And the reason why is easily said. On the other hand, you only have to look at the current standings to realise how compromised Roberto Martinez’s men are after their 2-0 defeat to Morocco on matchday two.
Croatia and Morocco share the summit on four points, Belgium have three, while the already eliminated Canada lie in last place with zero points. It goes without saying that the North Africans would be certain to play in the round of 16 even if they drew with a team without more goals. The same goes for Croatia, who after their round-robin victory over the Canadians, overwhelmed 4-1 last Sunday, can play for two results out of three and with a draw would send De Bruyne and co. home. The one who is obliged to win is precisely Belgium. There is actually another combination that would send the Red Devils to the knockout stage but it is almost science fiction. That is, Martinez and his team could be fine with a draw, provided Morocco loses by several goals to Canada. Very difficult indeed.
And then, from the rumours that are circulating, the Belgium dressing room resembles a powder keg. The defeat to Morocco has left its mark and perhaps put the final stone on a very promising generation that now risks being left empty-handed. And the misstep is surprising up to a point after the frankly undeserved victory in the opener against Canada, in which a team with few ideas and struggling with the usual flaws had already been seen at work. Croatia, on the other hand, made up for their lacklustre debut against Morocco (0-0) with a 4-1 comeback win over the Canadians, a match that brought a smile back to coach Zlatko Dalic’s face as he regained both points and goals in one fell swoop.
Croatia-Belgium: latest line-up news
De Bruyne
Dalic will reintroduce en bloc the line-up that scored four goals against Canada, picking up their first victory in this World Cup. In attack, the coach will once again rely on Kramaric: the Hoffenheim striker was the main player in the success over the Canadians, scoring a brace. In the offensive trident, alongside him, there will also be space for the two former Inter players Livaja and Perisic. The midfield will be held by the ‘triad’ Modric, Brozovic and Kovacic, while Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol and Sosa will play at the back.
Heavy absence for Belgium’s young Onana: the young Everton midfielder had been one of the few to save against Morocco but will be disqualified against Croatia. Out goes the disappointing Witsel, in comes Leicester’s Tielemans. And no luck for Lukaku, still not at his best and forced to start from the bench.
The Prediction
This will be an enjoyable, balanced match between two sides who finished second and third in Russia four years ago. This time, however, only one of them will advance to the round of 16. Croatia are not bursting at the seams like they did in 2018, but on the whole they proved to be more of a ‘team’ than a disappointing Belgium, who will now be unable to make any calculations. From the first minutes the Red Devils will be looking for a goal, which has been one of their main problems so far. Despite many quality players, offensively they have never shone. In our opinion, Croatia will manage to avoid defeat, sanctioning Belgium’s elimination. The possibility of seeing a more prolific second half is concrete. A draw, finally, would not be a surprise.
Croatia-Belgium matchday squad
- CROATIA (4-3-3): Livakovic; Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Kramaric, Livaja, Perisic.
- BELGIUM (3-4-2-1): Courtois; Castagne, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Meunier, Tielemans, Witsel, Carrasco; De Bruyne, E. Hazard; Batshuayi.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
