Iceland will be hoping to create history when they take on in-form Croatia in their final group game on Tuesday.
Croatia made a brilliant start to their campaign, beating Nigeria before thrashing Argentina 3-0 to book their place in the last-16. And while there will be no pressure on Croatia, they will be definitely hoping to end the group stage on a high. They only need a point to top the group, but coach Zlatko Dalic says his side will be targeting a victory.
“We want to beat Iceland to stay top of our group. We have our own style of play and we are going to stick to it while being watchful on their long balls and set pieces,” he said. “We know everything about Iceland and they know everything about us.”
? Rostov-on-Don hosts final #CRO training session, on the eve of #ISLCRO encounter.#BeProud #Croatia?? #Vatreni?#FlamingPride #WorldCup #Family pic.twitter.com/pfSI6qU1KL
— HNS (@HNS_CFF) June 25, 2018
On the other hand, even a win may not be enough for Iceland, as they will need to keep an eye on Argentina’s meeting with Nigeria in Saint Petersburg. If Nigeria win, Iceland will go out. If Argentina draw or win, it will all come down to goal difference.
? We have arrived in Rostov for our game against Croatia on Tuesday.#fyririsland pic.twitter.com/b6Bth0xoY6
— Knattspyrnusambandið (@footballiceland) June 24, 2018
Sportzwiki brings you all you need to know ahead of the clash between the two sides.
Venue and time:
Croatia and Iceland will lock horns at the Rostov Arena Rostov-On-Don. The action will begin at 11:30 PM IST on Tuesday.
Players to look out for:
Iceland – Gylfi Sigurdsson:
Iceland will be pinning their slim hopes on the Everton midfielder who is certainly the key to the team’s success. Sigurdsson missed a late penalty kick in his squad’s match against Nigeria and is likely to be seeking redemption in the upcoming game.
Croatia – Luka Modric:
After the scintillating display against against Argentina where he also scored a sublime goal, the Real Madrid midfielder will be eager to put up a top performance once again. He is likely to be Croatia’s key player in the match, especially since manager Zlatko Dalic is reportedly planning to not start players at risk of suspension, including Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic.
Where to watch:
The Indian fans will enjoy extensive coverage of the game. The English coverage will get telecast on SONY TEN 2 SD and HD channels.
The Hindi feed will be aired on SONY TEN 3 SD and HD channels. Bengali and Malayali feed will be available on SONY ESPN SD channel.
Possible line-ups:
Iceland:
Hannes Halldorsson; Birkir Saevarsson, Kari Arnason, Ragnar Sigurdson, Hordur Magnusson; Aron Gunnarsson, Emil Hallfredsson, Johann Gudmundsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Birkir Bjarnason; Alfred Finnbogason
Croatia:
Lovre Kalinic; Tin Jedvaj, Vedran Corluka, Domagoj Vida, Josip Pivaric; Milan Badelj, Luka Modric, Filip Bradaric; Marko Pjaca, Andrej Kramaric, Ivan Perisic
Follow live score on Sportzwiki.