Croatia are through to the Round of 32 of the World Cup
Decisive Vlasic told FIFA of his confidence in the team's ability
Portugal next for 2018 runners-up in their first knockout game
Croatia saw off Ghana in their to finish second and book their place in the Round of 32 at the . Facing the Black Stars was never going to be easy, and while it was a nervy affair from the word go Zlatko Dalic's side ultimately emerged victorious.
Dalic opted for an attacking XI with a distinctly ‘Italian’ feel, featuring several Serie A-based players. Indeed, both goalscorers against Ghana currently ply their trade in Italy, with Inter’s Petar Sucic named and Torino skipper Nikola Vlasic also finding the net.
A hard-fought, enthralling contest was decided by Vlasic's 83rd-minute header, sparking wild celebrations among the Croatia faithful, who had been anxiously keeping an eye on their side’s hopes of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams.
Speaking to FIFA after the victory, Vlasic expressed delight with his goal, the win and the team’s progress, but not with their start to this World Cup.
“I’m over the moon because it was crucial to get the victory and come away with all three points today," he said. "But the most important thing is that we’ve made it out of the group. We were quite slow out of the blocks in this tournament, if I’m honest."
After getting the better of and Ghana and coming up short against , Croatia finished second in the group to reach the Round of 32, where they will now take on Portugal in a mouth-watering clash.
The winner will go on to face Spain or Austria in the Round of 16 and, should they successfully navigate that tie, then meet one of USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium or Senegal in the quarter-finals. Vlasic is confident that the 2018 runners-up and 2022 bronze medalists have what it takes to go deep again.
"The defeat to England, then two wins on the spin – I think we’ve played some good stuff so far,” he said. “We’ve shown in the past that once we make it out of the group stage, we’re a force to be reckoned with. We’re just taking it one game at a time.”
Sources: FIFA Official
