Croatia's performance in their World Cup Group F opener against Morocco on Wednesday, which ended in a 0-0 draw, fell far short of expectations.
At Al Bayt Stadium, Zlatko Dalic's team, who finished second four years ago, were heavy favorites, but they created few noteworthy opportunities. As a result, Belgium gained an early advantage over Canada before their matchup with Belgium.
Croatia were lucky to still be tied at halftime after Nikola Vlasic went close due to Morocco's superior support, which did not translate into on-field dominance. Croatia were so outnumbered in the stands that they essentially resembled an away team. Early in the second half, Dejan Lovren had another decent opportunity that was lost, but Croatia did not capitalize on their superior possession.
Although Morocco's pressing pressure was initially difficult for Croatia to handle, the Atlas Lions lacked the skills necessary to turn their bluster into genuine opportunities. That didn't bring much delight to either side.
However, on the cusp of halftime, Morocco was appreciative of the goalkeeper Yassine Bounou's intervention, who made a vital save by stopping Vlasic's prodded attempt from close range after Borna Sosa passed into the danger zone. That served as a preview of the better play that would come early in the second half.
Dominik Livakovic first denied a Noussair Mazraoui header, and Sofyan Amrabat then made a crucial stop to prevent Dejan Lovren from finding the bottom-left corner.
In the end, Croatia's brash onslaught was defeated by Morocco's strong defense as they managed to hold onto a respectable point.
WHY DOES THAT MATTER? CROATIA'S LACK OF TEETH GIVES BELGIUM THE ADVANTAGE.
Even though Croatia performed quite poorly in this match, at least they did not suffer a shocking loss.
Croatia has lost in three of their previous five World Cup appearances on matchday one, with the exception of 1998 and 2018, when they advanced to the semifinals and final, respectively. After all, things typically don't go well when they lose their opening game at a World Cup.
Croatia, however, is a part of a group that has always had the potential to be close. They probably didn't want to help Belgium in any way, but Roberto Martinez's team already has the advantage due to their lack of teeth in this situation.
HAKIMI DISPLAYS HIS CLASS.
In actuality, this game was woefully lacking in quality. Achraf Hakimi, however, stood out for his work ethic and steadfastness, succeeding in all three of his tackle attempts, producing a team-high three interceptions, and winning 10 of his 16 duel encounters—both of which were match highs. Ivan Perisic became incredibly silent as a result.
MODRIC IS UNABLE TO STIMULATE IMAGINATION
Sosa was the only Croatian player to successfully catch a crucial pass. It made clear how deficient in creativity they truly were. It is puzzling that Luka Modric was handed the Player of the Match title despite having little success with it despite seeing a lot of the ball.
NEXT, WHAT?
On Sunday, Morocco will play the group favorites, Belgium, while Croatia will play Canada.
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