Slovakia 0-1 Croatia
A late and brilliant strike by midfield ace Marcelo Brozovic won three crucial points for Croatia against Slovakia to fire his team to the top of Group H.
The World Cup 2022 clash between Slovakia and Croatia, at the Tehelne Pole Stadium in Bratislava, was a battle between two teams with big hopes of making Qatar 2022, but first they need to navigate a highly competitive group.
And after a ding dong battle from start to finish it was a moment of class from Brozovic to win it, aided by a superb performance by Croatia keeper Ivica Ivusic.
The World Cup 2022 betting odds gave the Croats a very slight edge, but there was nothing to choose between the two teams until that one moment of high-class drama took the game way from the hosts.
Highlights of the game
Well…it’s fair to say that the World Cup 2022 highlights for the opening 45 minutes belied the goalless return, because it was a thrilling end to end tussle with 18 shots, nine at each end.
Croatia started the game on the front foot and Slovakia’s centre-back Milan Skriniar put in a brilliant block tackle to stop Mislav Orsic when he was clean through. Skriniar played a big part in Inter Milan’s 2021 Scudetto-winning team and is a key player in their title defence this season; he’s emerging as one of the best defenders in world football.
Orsic was a real livewire in the early exchanges and he came within a whisker of opening the scoring, when he took a pass from Antonio-Mirko Colak outside the left side of the penalty area and unleashed a superb shot which clipped the crossbar. Then Slovakia keeper Marek Rodak made a smart save low to his right to deny Luka Ivanuesec after good work from Mateo Kovacic.
Slovakia grew into the game and finished the first half strongly. Vladimir Weiss came close with a curling shot, and Robert Mak had an effort saved. And as the half drew to a close, the Croatia defence was resolute to block shots from Lubomir Satka, Ivan Schranz and Juraj Kucka, while veteran midfielder Marek Hamsik fired a shot narrowly wide.
Schranz came very close early in the second half, when he fired a close-range shot just wide of the left-hand post and Mak had a shot blocked as Slovakia pressed. But Croatia were pushing for the win too and when Dejan Lovren met an Orsic corner his header flew narrowly wide.
Mak has plenty of pace and he flew down the left flank, before cutting in and pulling a ball back across the six-yard box, but striker Robert Bozenik missed his kick and ball slid to safety.
Slovakia looked to be ending the second half on top, as they did the first, and Erik Jirka had a shot from outside the box saved. But then came the moment of the match.
Croatia had a free-kick on the left side of the penalty area and after it was headed clear and landed at the feet of Brozovc he hit a sweet first-time volley low into the left corner.
Slovakia weren’t finished, but Croatia keeper Ivica Ivusic made two brilliant saves to deny both Bozenik and Kucka.
Brozovic and Ivusic’s brilliant ten minutes won the game for Croatia.
Key statistics
Here at SBOTOP, we predicted a tough game for Croatia and so it was, as the Croats shaded possession but Slovakia won the shot count by 17 to 13 and four to three on target.
Marcelo Brozovic’s goal was his first in five years for Croatia as his nation won its fifth game in six against Slovakia, the other encounter ending in a draw.
What’s next?
In the other Group H results tonight, things went as expected in Cyprus, where Russia won 0-2, and in Slovenia where the hosts saw off Malta, just about, with a 1-0 score-line.
On the back of a 0-0 draw with Russia this was a great result for Croatia and the two teams now sit neck and neck at the top of Group H on ten points, with Slovakia four points behind in fourth place.
Next up, Zlatko Dalic’s side take on Slovenia in a home tie on Tuesday, and then there’s a break in international action until October, when Croatia visit Cyprus. The Group H favourites really should pick up another six points.
Meanwhile, Slovakia head coach Stefan Tarkovic can settle his side and prepare for a home match against Cyprus on Tuesday, and that should yield a vital three points for the Slovaks. And then, in the next international break Slovakia have a crunch tie away to joint leaders Russia.
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