ZAGREB (Reuters) - Having billed Greece as the most awkward opponents they could draw in the World Cup playoffs, Croatia will head into the two-leg tie confident of maintaining their flawless record in the final round of qualifying for major tournaments. Cacic's replacement Zlatko Dalic oversaw the result which enabled Croatia to finish as runners-up and earn a playoff berth, instilling strong belief that they can complete the recovery against an injury-hit Greek side. "Winning the first leg would make life so much easier in the return fixture," winger Ivan Perisic told the Croatian Football Association (HNS) website (www.hns-cff.hr). The new coach injected fresh ideas and we did the best job we could in that vital game." Although Mandzukic is a vital player for Croatia, Dalic has options with the in-form Andrej Kramaric who scored both goals against the Ukrainians and AC Milan's Nikola Kalinic.

Source: The Star November 07, 2017 11:26 UTC