last updated on .From the section World Cup Argentina are facing the prognosis of an early World Cup exit after a atrocious mistake from goalkeeper Willy Caballero set Croatia on their way to victory and a rate in the death 16. On a night when so much was expected of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, Caballero made the most revealing contribution to his team ‘s destine with an attempted nick over Ante Rebic that backfired badly, allowing the hitter to volley into an disclose net in the 53rd minute.

Messi – adrift for much of the match, specially during a pedestrian first step one-half – rallied his english, but neither he nor alternate forwards Gonzalo Higuain and Pablo Dybala could find a room through in Nizhny Novgorod. The closest Messi came was a half-chance, a snatch at a rebound from a Maximiliano Meza guess which was blocked by Ivan Rakitic and turned behind to base hit. It was a dogged defensive second-half display from Croatia, illuminated by a moment of magic from their own consummate number 10, Luka Modric. His curled shoot from stove drifted beautifully beyond Caballero ‘s dive to put his side two ahead, before Rakitic ‘s injury-time tap-in sealed a victory that moves the Europeans through to the knockout stagecoach and besides leaves them in a solid situation to win the group. Argentina are nobelium longer in control of their own fortune. This get the better of follows their opening 1-1 draw with Iceland, in which Messi missed a punishment, and nowadays even a heavy win over Nigeria in their final crippled on Tuesday may not be enough to send them through to the following turn. Should Iceland beat Nigeria in their second Group D bet on on Friday, Iceland would need alone a describe against Croatia in their final match. For Messi, a fecund performer at club flush with Barcelona, this was another harrowing chapter in his holocene history of annoyance and disappointment in the international game .

Carrying the expectations of a nation

As the national anthem was played before the match, the television camera panned across Messi ‘s face. Eyes closed as he rubbed his frontal bone, he looked like a man carrying the expectations of a nation. He wanted to perform besides, to carry his team in the shape of his own enormousness like the bequest of Diego Maradona says he must, but this was a long manner from a classical Messi display. This is besides a long means from a authoritative Argentina team. In the first half they were well exposed on the flanks, conceding three first-half chances behind the full-backs which a more pitiless side than Croatia would have punished. At the early end, Enzo Perez missed a sitter and looked out of depth in midfield, while Messi was often wandering in empty space with the bet on played somewhere else. It was a foreign thing to watch, to see the musician who is so much nothing less than consummate at the highest level of the baseball club game not stepping forward into the limelight. There seems to be real tension – a barrier about – to success in the blue and ashen stripes of Argentina. It has become more pronounce and atrocious over the past four years, during which Argentina lost three major finals with Messi as captain. After the most recent of these – kill by Chile in the 2016 Copa America – Messi announced his international retirement, having missed a penalty in the gunfight. He reversed the decision a month late but now, three days before he turns 31, you feel this truly was the last big find he had of propelling his side to victory on the biggest degree of all. even if international success does not come – and it looks a long way off – he will still be the actor who has achieved thus much and seduced so many in 14 years at Barcelona. But at a tournament where Cristiano Ronaldo is again embroil Portugal along with his goals and drive, there will everlastingly be repent and a sadness that a player a talented as Messi looks likely to have one thing miss : a World Cup he defined .

Croatia wasteful before Caballero nightmare

Until Argentina crumbled late on, Croatia had not been particularly impressive either. Although they probably edged the quality of chances created, they were all chances wasted. Ivan Perisic had a low drive brilliantly tipped round the military post, Mario Mandzukic put a low header wide from six yards, and Rebic blazed wastefully over from a wonderfully Modric through musket ball. There were few signs to suggest Croatia would end up winning ampere convincingly as they did as Argentina enjoyed the majority of self-control and about scored a capricious undoer when Meza hit the top of the bar with a cross. late, Croatia produced moments of real number quality such as Modric ‘s deluxe curled finish up and the frame pass before Rakitic ‘s third. But those came after the defining legal action of the night – Caballero ‘s error. He is only covering Manchester United ‘s Sergio Romero, who was ruled out before the tournament through injury. It was the kind of error nightmares are made of, and it seemed to strike a blow at the affection of the morale of the Argentina team. indeed many heads, including Messi ‘s, dropped in bewilderment and misery. From that point on, it only got worse for them .

Man of the match – Luka Modric (Croatia)

Croatia's Luka ModricThe Real Madrid midfielder scored a superb goal and had 62 touches, making 29 passes in the opposition half – the most by a Croatia player – with an accuracy of 82.8%

‘I beg for forgiveness’ – reaction

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli: “ First and foremost I beg for the fans ‘ forgiveness. The reality of the Argentina squad cloud Lionel Messi ‘s brillance. The team does n’t gel angstrom well as it should. “ I have always looked for the best position on the flip for my players. The players have a especial province adenine well, but we did n’t manage to find relationships that Argentina or Lionel Messi benefited from. “ Croatia were an excellent team, but after we conceded we lost our manner and we were emotionally broken. We could n’t change the course of events. “ I am identical hurt by the get the better of but I credibly did n’t understand the pit as I should have. ” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic: “ I have trusted my team from the first base day. I did n’t believe we would be through after the second game so we have to be felicitous because we have beaten a strong argentinian side with the best actor in the earth. Argentina were not confused ; we were excellent. “ Over the last few days we have n’t looked at tactics because I wanted to relieve my players of the stress. We had good scouts and we analysed the opposition well. We adapted our vogue to them. Let ‘s enjoy this moment. “ In the first half we were compact and created three sitters but we failed to score. That ‘s why I told the players in the second half that we will create more chances but we had to press higher. ”

Argentina’s worst run without a win – the stats

  • This was Croatia ‘s first gear victory in five attempts against a south american team at the World Cup, having lost the previous four .
  • This was Argentina ‘s heaviest frustration in the first-round group stage of a World Cup since losing 6-1 to Czechoslovakia in 1958 .
  • Argentina have failed to win either of their possibility two group stage matches for the first time since 1974 .
  • This was Croatia ‘s joint second biggest World Cup victory ; they beat cameroon 4-0 in 2014 and Germany 3-0 in 1998 .
  • Argentina are without a win in their past four World Cup games ( D2 L2 ), their longest such run in the competition .
  • This is only the second clock time Croatia have won their opening two games at a World Cup, after the 1998 tournament that saw them reach the semi-finals .
  • Ante Rebic ‘s goal was his moment for Croatia, and his first since August 2013 in a friendly against Liechtenstein .
  • Two of Luka Modric ‘s four goals in major tournaments for Croatia ( Euros and World Cup ) have been from outside the box .
  • Argentina ‘s Lionel Messi, who had 11 shots in the opening game against Iceland, did not manage a one undertake in goal until the 64th minute .
  • Messi has had more shots than any other player at this World Cup ( 12 ) but has failed to score with any of them .
  • Line-ups
  • Match Stats
  • Live Text

Line-ups

Argentina

formation 3-4-2-1

23

Caballero

2

Mercado

17

Otamendi

3

Tagliafico

18

Salvio

15

Pérez

14

Mascherano

8

Acuña

10

Messi

13

Meza

19

Agüero

  • 23

    Caballero

  • 2

    Mercado

    Booked at 51mins

  • 17

    Otamendi

    Booked at 85mins

  • 3

    Tagliafico

  • 18

    Salvio

    Substituted for

    Pavón

    at

    56′

    minutes

  • 15

    Pérez

    Substituted for

    Dybala

    at

    68′

    minutes

  • 14

    Mascherano

  • 8

    Acuña

    Booked at 87mins

  • 10

    Messi

  • 13

    Meza

  • 19

    Agüero

    Substituted for

    Higuaín

    at

    54′

    minutes

Substitutes

  • 1

    Guzmán

  • 4

    Ansaldi

  • 5

    Biglia

  • 6

    Fazio

  • 7

    Banega

  • 9

    Higuaín

  • 11

    Di María

  • 12

    Armani

  • 16

    Rojo

  • 20

    Lo Celso

  • 21

    Dybala

  • 22

    Pavón

Croatia

formation 4-1-4-1

23

Subasic

2

Vrsaljko

6

Lovren

21

Vida

3

Strinic

11

Brozovic

18

Rebic

10

Modric

7

Rakitic

4

Perisic

17

Mandzukic

  • 23

    Subasic

  • 2

    Vrsaljko

    Booked at 67mins

  • 6

    Lovren

  • 21

    Vida

  • 3

    Strinic

  • 11

    Brozovic

  • 18

    Rebic

    Booked at 39mins

    Substituted for

    Kramaric

    at

    57′

    minutes

  • 10

    Modric

  • 7

    Rakitic

  • 4

    Perisic

    Substituted for

    Kovacic

    at

    82′

    minutes

  • 17

    Mandzukic

    Booked at 58mins

    Substituted for

    Corluka

    at

    90+2′

    minutes

    Booked at 90mins

Substitutes

  • 1

    Livakovic

  • 5

    Corluka

  • 8

    Kovacic

  • 9

    Kramaric

  • 12

    L Kalinic

  • 13

    Jedvaj

  • 14

    Bradaric

  • 15

    Caleta-Car

  • 19

    Badelj

  • 20

    Pjaca

  • 22

    Pivaric

Referee:
Ravshan Irmatov
Attendance:
43,318

Match Stats

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Argentina 0, Croatia 3 .

  2. Full Time

    second Half ends, Argentina 0, Croatia 3 .

  3. Post update

    Foul by Nicolás Tagliafico ( Argentina ) .

  4. Post update

    Danijel Subasic ( Croatia ) wins a free kick in the defensive half .

  5. Booking

    Vedran Corluka ( Croatia ) is shown the scandalmongering card for a bad cruddy .

  6. Post update

    Lionel Messi ( Argentina ) wins a free bang in the assail half .

  7. Post update

    Foul by Vedran Corluka ( Croatia ) .

  8. Substitution

    substitution, Croatia. Vedran Corluka replaces Mario Mandzukic .

  9. goal

    Goal!

    finish ! Argentina 0, Croatia 3. Ivan Rakitic ( Croatia ) right footed shoot from the center of the box to the bed left corner. Assisted by Mateo Kovacic following a fast break in .

  10. Post update

    Attempt saved. Ivan Rakitic ( Croatia ) right footed shoot from outside the box is saved in the bottomland left corner. Assisted by Andrej Kramaric .

  11. Post update

    Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Domagoj Vida .

  12. Post update

    attempt blocked. Maximiliano Meza ( Argentina ) left footed shot from the center of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lionel Messi .

  13. Post update

    attempt missed. Luka Modric ( Croatia ) correctly footed shot from outside the box misses to the leave .

  14. Post update

    attack blocked. Mario Mandzukic ( Croatia ) left footed shoot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Mateo Kovacic .

  15. Post update

    Foul by Nicolás Tagliafico ( Argentina ) .

  16. Post update

    Mario Mandzukic ( Croatia ) wins a spare kick on the right fender .

  17. Booking

    Marcos Acuña ( Argentina ) is shown the jaundiced circuit board for a bad filthy .

  18. Post update

    Foul by Marcos Acuña ( Argentina ) .

  19. Post update

    Sime Vrsaljko ( Croatia ) wins a unblock kick in the defensive one-half .

  20. Post update

    attack missed. Mateo Kovacic ( Croatia ) header from the center of the corner is gamey and wide to the left following a set while situation .

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