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Twenty years after reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in France Croatia is facing a great opportunity to try to repeat the story but to get to the Penultimate Denmark in eighths, this Sunday in Nizhny Novgorod ( 14:00 ).
With a newborn country, this selection composed of stars like Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki, Robert Jarni or Slaven Bilic reached the third place after falling in half Final against the France host, finally winner of the tournament.
Two decades later, with a new generation of great players Led by Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic Croats dream of imitating this feat, having accomplished a spectacular first phase.
Three victories in three matches, nine points, siet and goals in favor and one against (penal and at the last day against Iceland, while the Balkans were already ranked ).
Except for Uruguay and Belgium (which also finished with 9 points), no other eighth finalists can present Croatian figures, although the great endorsement of the Balkans was the protest against the 39th. Argentina on the second day, that they humbled 3-0
But the Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic knows that the first phase does not guarantee anything
"In the group stage, we played well, but that does not mean anything if we do not check tomorrow (Sunday), "said the coach Saturday at a press conference.
Opposite, the solid Danish team without spectacular football was ranked second in Group C without losing any of the three matches (one win and two draws) and snatching a point from the mighty La France.
The team that forms the Norwegian Hareide stands out for his defensive strength with one of the best goalkeepers in the championship, Kasper Schmeichel (the second with the more stops in the first phase), and a pair of highly solvent power stations, with the sevillista Simon Kjaer and the player Chelsea Andreas Christensen .
However, the star of the team is Christian Eriksen, the player of Tottenham Hotspur charged with organizing all the offensive game of the Vikings.
"This may be a duel between Modric and Christian Eriksen in midfield, it would be interesting for fans, we see two quality players and that's great," Hareide said Saturday.
Modric avoided entering into comparisons and described Eriksen as "a fantastic player."
Denmark recovers striker Poulsen
The fight for the ball midfield promises to be "a fantastic player." to be thrilling, since Eriksen will have for squire Thomas Delaney, new player of Borussia Dortmund and could even count on Andreas Christensen, as he did Hareide against France, to contain the Croatian midfielder , in which in addition to Modric and Rakitic, stand out Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic in the bands.
Good news for the Danes will also be that they recover Yussuf Poulsen, scorer against Peru and Australia, missed the match against France with cards.
"Yes, we have to defend ourselves, but we have to attack more," warned the team's helmsman.
This is an aspect that the Croatians must also take into account: Eight players are a yellow after being suspended and they are cautioned against the Danes, the fourth (against Spain or Russia): Sime Vrsaljko, Vedran Corluka, Tin Jedvaj, Ante Rebic, Marko Pjaka and, above all, Mario Mandzukic, Brozovic and Rakitic
Possibilities of formations
Croatia: Danijel Subasic – Sime Vrsaljko, Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida, Ivan Strinic – Ante Rebic (or Mateo Kovacic), Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic – Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Perisic, Mario Mandzukic. DT: Zlatko Dalic
Denmark: Kasper Schmeichel – Henrik Dalsgaard, Simon Kjaer, Andreas Christensen (or Mathias Jorgensen), Jens Stryger Larsen – Thomas Delaney, Lbade Schöne, Christian Eriksen – Yussuf Poulsen, Pione Sisto , Nicolai Jorgensen. DT: Hareide age.
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