Croatia and Turkey met in Bursa on Tuesday for the second round of EURO 2024 qualifiers. This was Croatia’s last match before the Nations League finals, which is held this June in Rotterdam.
Coach Zlatko Dalić lead Croatia tonight for the 72nd time, which ties him with the undisputed record holder Miroslav Blažević.
Croatia and Turkey had played ten times so far before this match. Croatia’s first victory in a major competition was against Turkey (Euro 1996), but perhaps also the biggest shock – losing on penalties in the EURO quarter-finals in Austria and Switzerland in 2008.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić made three changes in the starting lineup. Josip Stanišić, Borna Barišić, and Mario Pašalić entered the starting 11 instead of Josip Juranović, Borna Sosa, and the injured Marko Livaja.
Lineups
TURKEY: Günok, Celik, Söyuncu, Demiral, Kadioglu, Kökcu, Calhanoglu, Özcan, Ünder, Ünal, Aktüroglu
CROATIA: Livaković, Stanišić, Šutalo, Gvardiol, Barišić, Modrić, Brozović, Kovačić, Pašalić, Perišić, Kramarić
The match started at 20:45 in front of nearly 40,000 fans. Around 1500 Croatia fans were in attendance.
Brozovic lost the ball in the penalty area in the 5th minute, forcing Livakovic to make a quick save to keep Turkey from taking an early lead. Livakovic had to save the day not even five minutes later after a Sutalo slip allowed Turkey to get a shot off. And in the 11th minute, a Turkey goal was called offside.
Croatia started waking up shortly after and pushed into Turkey’s half. Stanisic got a shot off wide of the goal in the 16th minute.
But even with their lack of concentration, Croatia found the back of the net. Stanisic was played wide on the right wing and sent the ball to Pasalic who played a one-two with Perisic and laid it off to Kovacic in the box for 0-1 Croatia!
Croatia’s lack of concentration continued after they took the lead, and another close encounter with Livakovic nearly leveled the result. Stanisic dribbled into the box and failed to get a good shot off in the 32nd minute.
Croatia really struggled to find their footing in the first half, but the injury to Turkey’s captain did not do them a favor, either.
Even with their poor play, Croatia found a way to the back of the net again. Brozovic and Modric stole the ball in Turkey’s half, found Pasalic on the left whose shot went off the keeper’s fingertips, and to Kovacic who scored his second goal for 0-2!
The first half ended 0-2 for Croatia.
Croatia attacked well in the 53rd minute, but both Kovacic and Pasalic failed to get a shot off in time.
And Croatia’s best chance of the second half came five minutes later. Modric played a low ball into the box from the right side, and Pasalic side-footed to the goal with an incredible reaction from the Turkey keeper.
Dalic made his first sub – Juranovic came on for Pasalic in the 65th minute.
Turkey picked up the pace from the 70th minute and even had a good chance on goal which went wide of the far post.
A brilliant attack by Kovacic, Perisic, and Kramaric almost resulted in another goal, but Kramaric’s shot just missed the goal.
Two corners for Turkey in the 80th minute had Croatia on their toes, but with 10 minutes to go, the game was still 0-2.
Modric and Kramaric came out for Majer and Musa in the 84th minute.
Five minutes of stoppage time were added. Ivanusec came on for Perisic.
Turkey had a dangerous chance in the 2nd minute of stoppage time which Livakovic brilliantly saved, but the game ended in Croatia’s favor.
Croatia meets next in June for the Nations League Finals in Rotterdam. Croatia plays the semi-final against the Netherlands on June 14.
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