90min

Croatia predicted lineup vs Morocco - World Cup third-place play-off

By Grey Whitebloom

Zlatko Dalic has the chance to add a bronze medal to Croatia's silver in 2018
Zlatko Dalic has the chance to add a bronze medal to Croatia's silver in 2018 / Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/GettyImages
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Croatia go toe-to-toe with Morocco in the World Cup third-place play-off on Saturday afternoon.

The bronze-medal match is often considered the perfect opportunity for a manager to cycle through their squad. However, this is rarely the case. On average, there are only three changes to the starting XI which lined up for the semi-final.

Zlatko Dalic hasn't made more than two changes to his starting XI throughout the entire tournament, lining up with nine of the same players in every match.

Here's the lineup Dalic may deploy in Croatia's bid to emulate the team of 1998 and earn the country's second third-place medal.

Croatia predicted lineup vs Morocco (4-3-3)

Luka Modrić
Luka Modric's first World Cup appearance came in 2006. Saturday's game may well be his last / Visionhaus/GettyImages

GK: Dominik Livakovic - No keeper has made more saves at this tournament than Croatia's busy number one.

RB: Josip Juranovic - One of four players to have played every minute of Croatia's World Cup slog, the former attacking midfielder has cemented his spot at right-back.

CB: Dejan Lovren - As a maniacally driven 12-year-old, Lovren's father would illuminate the practice pitch with his car headlights so that his son could continue training into the night.

CB: Josip Sutalo - With Josko Gvardiol a doubt - dealing with a foot problem rather than twisted blood from his encounter with Lionel Messi - Sutalo may be drafted in.

LB: Borna Sosa - A prolific crosser who styled his game on David Beckham, Sosa stresses that his personal talent can't be taught. "You either have it or you don't."

CM: Lovro Majer - A substitute in every World Cup match thus far, Majer may be granted his first start if Marcelo Brozovic isn't risked.

CM: Luka Modric - In what is set to be his last-ever appearance at a World Cup, Modric will surely be given a starting berth for his farewell.

CM: Mateo Kovacic - Born on the same day as Pope Innocent X - although 420 years later - Kovacic is such a devout Catholic he is sometimes referred to as "the Altar Boy".

RW: Mario Pasalic - Despite spending six years on Chelsea's books, Pasalic never made a single competitive appearance for the Blues before permanently concluding his myriad of loans by joining Atalanta in 2020.

ST: Andrej Kramaric - Croatia's leading scorer in Qatar nabbed both of his goals in the space of 35 minutes against Canada in his nation's only 90-minute victory of the competition thus far.

LW: Ivan Perisic - The semi-final defeat to Argentina was Perisic's first national team reverse since losing to England in their opening game at Euro 2020.

Harry Symeou hosts Andy Headspeath, Quentin Gesp and Jack Gallagher to look back on the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia - join us!

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