Dramatic Perisic winner sends Iceland packing

Ivan Perisic ended Iceland’s World Cup dream with a 90th-minute winner as Croatia racked up a third successive victory in Group D last night,

Iceland’s hopes of an improbable place in the knockout stages were raised when Gylfi Sigurdsson exorcised the demons of his penalty miss against Nigeria last time out with a spot-kick equaliser with 15 minutes to go.

But substitute Perisic fired home right at the end, after Milan Badelj’s secondhalf opener, to make it 2-1 and kill off any chance of Iceland progressing.

Croatia were well below their best but were ruthlessly efficient, as they have been throughout the tournament, with their six goals scored from just nine shots on target.

Iceland, for their part, took the game to their opponents and despite just 38% possession they managed 15 attempts but could register only one goal.

Croatia, who had already qualified, enjoyed the majority of the early possession but looked like they were going through the motions and Iceland bided their time, coming alive in the final 15 minutes of the first half.

Hordur Magnusson’s near-post flick drifted wide of the far upright before he headed wide from another corner, while Sigurdsson’s one chance from a freekick was comfortably saved by Lovre Kalinic.

Croatia’s back-up goalkeeper then tipped wide Aron Gunnarson’s angled curling strike.

Badelj hit the crossbar with a longrange strike early in the second half, but the 29-year-old made no mistake moments later when the ball was cut back to him near the penalty spot.

Croatia rested Modric with 25 minutes to go as Iceland continued to push forward and the pressure told in the 75th minute when substitute Dejan Lovren was adjudged to have handled Sigurdsson’s cross and the Everton midfielder drilled home the penalty.

But Croatian sub Perisic produced the decisive moment to set up a last-16 meeting with Denmark.