Match Previews

Croatia are entering the World Cup with cautious optimism. No major surprises in their 23-man squad. Everyone is available for selection.

Croatia are coming from a turbulent qualifying campaign which saw them change their manager with one group game went to play. They went on to beat Ukraine away to finish second in their group before crushing Greece in the play-offs.

The atmosphere surrounding the national team is a positive one, with expectations being high of what is a very talented group of players. In the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic, among others, the Blazers have players that play key roles in some of the largest European clubs.

Their recent friendlies saw them give a good account of themselves but falling to a 2:0 defeat in the hands of Brazil before coming from behind to beat Senegal with a 2:1 scoreline in what was a general rehearsal for the Nigeria game.

Zlatko Dalic has named an initial 24-man squad, with Matej Mitrovic being the man who missed out on a place in the final World Cup squad. The list of players he named contains no surprises.

The Croatian national team manager has an injury-free squad to pick from going into the World Cup.

According to the domestic media, Dalic is likely to name a very attacking-minded lineup for the upcoming match, with Ante Rebic and Andrej Kramaric getting nods as a part of the attacking midfield trident.

The best-ever result in Croatia's relatively short history was a third-place finish in the 1998 World Cup. They have failed to get out of their group in the two World Cups they have participated in since.