Croatia will be gunning on these players to make the tournament a memorable one. Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic and the evergreen Luka Modric make up the squad while AC Milan's Ante Rebic plays his second major international tournament for his country. Dalic will be hoping to repeat his feat in the FIFA World Cup in 2018 in which Croatia reached the semifinals.
Squad:
Goalkeeper: Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Simon Sluga (Luton Town)
Defenders: Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), Dejan Lovren (Zenit), Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Duje Caleta-Car (Marseille), Josip Juranovic (Legia Warsaw), Domagoj Bradaric (Lille), Mile Skoric (Osijek), Josko Gvardiol (Dinamo Zagreb)
Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter), Milan Badelj (Genoa), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (CSKA Moskva), Luka Ivanusec (Dinamo Zagreb)
Forwards: Ivan Perisic (Inter), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Ante Rebic (AC Milan), Josip Brekalo ( Wolfsburg), Bruno Petkovic (Dynamo Zagreb), Mislav Orsic (Dynamo Zagreb), Ante Budimir (Osasuna)
Key Player: Luka Modric
Undoubtedly, the 'Cruyff of the Balkan' will be the man to lead Croatia forward. Luka Modric may not be in his prime to dominate the entire midfield but more than capable of being the decisive factor in crucial games. Modric received the prestigious Ballon d'Or following scintillating performances in the 2018 World Cup. His age is no bar to meet that level of his game. The versatility in his play makes him hard to call down. Regarded as the best Croatian player of all time, Modric has been capped a record 136 times for his country. His experience is of vital importance to the team that wants to make this competition a memorable one as well.
Strength (Midfield)
Strength belongs to the middle of the park for Croatia. The Vatreni sustain some prominent characters in the midfield to inject adrenaline into this team. Along with the evergreen Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic and the swiftness of Mario Pasalic make them a grand pack. For the first time, Ivan Rakitic's name is not on this list due to his declining form but the existing candidates are there to do an admirable job. Brozovic is a deep-lying ball passer while Kovacic's box-to-box nature constructs the midfield perfectly. To help them out, the forwards are ready to rattle the net at the time of asking.
Weakness (Capitulating under pressure)
The main problem for Croatia is they tend to crumble under pressure. Generally against teams superior to them on paper at least. Recently, the Croats have shown an instability to handle blows these bigger sides inflict on them. Manager Dalic admitted himself that his high press system sometimes let his team down. Even if they want to sit deeper it doesn't help their factor. Their qualification to the Euros has also not been a smooth ride as expected. Also, Croatia haven't looked like the team that reached the finals in Russia.
However, they have an undying spirit to bring them up from such a situation. The nation also has names that are capable of doing wonders under pressure. Their class will speak on the pitch. Croatia are optimistic to create memories that won't be forgotten for a long time.
For more information, Stay tuned to our section Euro 2020
