Croatia, Switzerland hold rivals, qualify for Worlds
PIRAEUS: Croatia qualified for the 2018 World Cup on Sunday by holding Greece to a 0-0 draw in the second leg of their play-off in Piraeus for a 4-1 win on aggregate.
Zlatko Dalic’s men will be playing in their fifth World Cup in Russia next year, having only once failed to qualify in 2010.
“We had a good match in Zagreb but it was difficult here. If we had won 1-0 (in the first leg) it would have been very difficult tonight,” said Croatia coach Dalic, who only took over from the sacked Ante Cacic last month.
“We are a very good team and it would not be just for us not to go to Russia.” A strong defensive performance, especially in the second half, was enough for Croatia to leave the Karaisiakis Stadium with a comfortable victory over the two legs after winning 4-1.
Greece coach Michael Skibbe dropped half of his players from the disastrous first-leg showing in Zagreb, and the return of Roma defender Kostas Manolas kept Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic in check. For the first 30 minutes Greece were in control, but despite two good shots from defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Anastasios Bakasetas, the hosts failed to score.
Greece came close to scoring four minutes before half-time when a cross from Kostas Mitroglou found midfielder Zeca, who headed in front of the Croatian
goalmouth, only for keeper Danijel Subasic to tip the ball away.
SWISS GO THROUGH
BASEL: Switzerland scraped into the World Cup, their fourth finals in a row, after being held to a goalless draw at home by a valiant and workmanlike Northern Ireland who came desperately close to forcing extra-time on Sunday.
The Swiss qualified 1-0 on aggregate, the tie ultimately being decided by the hugely controversial penalty converted by Ricardo Rodriguez in the first leg in Belfast on Thursday.
They were again indebted to Rodriguez on Sunday when he cleared a goalbound header from Jonny Evans off the line in stoppage time as Northern Ireland pressed for an equaliser.
The Swiss, boasting a much more illustrious and talented line-up, could have done it in style as they dominated the first hour but squandered a hatful of chances. Instead, on a slippery pitch which cut up badly, they relinquished control for the final half hour and were forced onto the back foot, fraying the nerves of the home crowd. “I’m very satisfied with my team, with what they’ve achieved. It’s been a long process,” said Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic.