Modric eclipses Messi
● Two-time champions on the verge of elimination at group stage as Messi & co collapse following goalkeeper’s blunder
Luka Modric led Croatia into the last 16 of the World Cup, scoring a wonderful goal in a 3-0 thumping of Argentina in Group D, which leaves Lionel Messi and his team-mates on the brink of elimination.
It was Argentina’s worst defeat in a group match in 60 years.
Messi, who turns 31 on Sunday, failed to get even one shot away against Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, five days after he missed a penalty in his side’s opening 1-1 draw against Iceland. Croatia frustrated Argentina throughout the match and never gave Messi space to operate.
The loss came in humiliating fashion for the twotime winners. Argentina goalkeeper Willy Caballero mis-kicked a clearance and Croatia winger Ante Rebic volleyed the ball over his head and into the net in the 53rd minute. Modric scored another with a curling shot in the 80th minute and Ivan Rakitic added the third in stoppage time.
Croatia advance to the round of 16 with six points from two games. Argentina have only one point and will next face Nigeria on Tuesday in St Petersburg.
ARGENTINA 0 CROATIA 3 Rebic 53, Modric 80, Rakitic 90
Lionel Messi and his Argentina team-mates face the possibility of being eliminated from the World Cup at the group stage after Croatia progressed to the last 16 with a comprehensive 3-0 victory.
The two-time world champions have collected only one point from their first two games against Iceland and the Croatians, who advanced to the knock-out phase thanks to second-half goals by Ante Rebic, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic.
Rebic volleyed in when Chelsea’s reserve goalkeeper Willy Caballero inexplicably chipped an attempted pass straight to him, Modric added a second with a brilliant strike from range ten minutes from time and Rakitic placed in a third late on.
Messi, who had a penalty saved in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Iceland, was again belowpar and saw Rakitic block his only real opportunity across the 90 minutes.
Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli’s team were all at sea throughout in their 3-5-2 formation, and the South Americans were fortunate Caballero denied Ivan Perisic when he was allowed to glide into the box early on.
Croatia looked vulnerable at the back too, yet Enzo Perez placed his attempt wide when left with a virtual open goal to aim at on the half-hour mark.
Mario Mandzukic was also guilty of spurning a glorious opening as he reached a back-post cross undetected only to head wide from close range.
The contest was becoming increasingly tetchy and Rebic was perhaps fortunate his studs-up challenge on Eduardo Salvio led to a yellow card rather than a red shortly before half-time.
He was allowed to stay on the pitch, though, and was in the right place when Caballero made his gaffe eight minutes after the break.
The stopper had been attempting to dink a pass to defender Gabriel Mercado, but the ball looped straight up into the air and was emphatically volleyed back over Caballero’s head by Rebic.
Juventus pair Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala were then brought on as substitutes, and Argentina nearly forced an equaliser only for Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic to deny Maximiliano Meza and Rakitic to thwart Messi with a brilliant late tackle from the rebound.
Modric then made sure of Croatia’s victory with ten minutes to go as he worked space on the edge of the box and bent a brilliant attempt inside Caballero’s post.
Argentina’s frustration was evident as Nicolas Otamendi kicked the ball into Rakitic after he won a free-kick, which the Barcelona midfielder then dispatched against the frame of the goal.
Rakitic would get his goal in stoppage time, though, collecting a pass from substitute Mateo Kovacic to roll in with Argentina’s midfield and defence nowhere to be seen.