Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic admitted his facet was lucky that Belgium missed a number of possibilities within the goalless draw on Thursday that despatched the 2018 runner-up into the FIFA World Cup knockout section.
The Croatians held on for the purpose they wanted to progress from Group F behind Morocco as Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku handed up a number of golden alternatives to place them out late on.
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“I anticipated a tough match towards Belgium. Belgium can’t play three dangerous matches in a row,” Dalic stated within the post-match press convention.
“They’d some possibilities towards us nevertheless it didn’t change our mindset… We had been fortunate they didn’t take their possibilities.”
Croatia will face Japan for a quarter-final spot on the Al Janoub Stadium on December 5.
“It was a troublesome sport to play, however that’s soccer,” Dalic added. “An important factor for us is to get well, we’re drained.”
RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, taking part in in a protecting face masks, made a number of essential interventions as Croatia clung on — and earned excessive reward from his coach.
“Gvardiol is the most effective defender on the earth. He’s solely 20 so if he’s not already the primary, he’ll develop into the primary,” stated Dalic.
Croatia nonetheless has an opportunity to copy their run to the ultimate on the 2018 World Cup in Russia the place captain Luka Modric was named participant of the event regardless of his facet shedding to France within the remaining.
“We’re overjoyed that we’re within the spherical of 16,” Modric stated.
“We deserved that with the sport we performed. We lived by some very tough moments as we had been taking part in towards an important group.
“We now have achieved the primary objective, now let’s transfer on. As we speak we confirmed that we’re a high group, that we are able to play towards anybody, and whoever comes subsequent, it is not going to be straightforward towards us.”
