Euro 2016 Recap: Turkey Vs Croatia

Fulltime: Turkey 0-1 Croatia

Modric (CRO) 41'

It was a Euro 2016 game dubbed by not a few as a grudge match of some sorts. Turkey versus Croatia fixture may not be the marquee match that would make neutrals drool. However, recent encounters made this an intriguing event. The Croats have the clear edge based on their last four meetings. But, the pain of the draw in the quarter finals in Euro 2008 is still fresh. Turkey advanced eight years ago in a shocking penalty shoot-out. That memory still haunts four of the current players.

A Bruising Encounter

Both teams started aggressively. Turkey applied combative defense on their opponents' stars. And it didn't take long for Fenerbache's Ozan Tufan to dish out a wicked foul on a nimble Luca Modric. Disappointingly, referee Jonas Eriksson didn't see the need to pick a card from his pocket. That incident, in my opinion, stirred both sides to be more ruthless. The next few minutes that followed saw a frenetic exchange of possessions, with sliding tackles galore. This is usually what happens when a referee doesn't impose his authority in a heated game. But, it was very clear that The Chequered Ones had more intent and quality moving forward. Turkey on the other hand relied on choking defense and counter attacks. That almost paid off for them in the 29th minute when Tufan headed a chance straight to the hands of keeper Danijel Subasic.

He was made to pay dearly for the miss in the 41st by Modric, who expertly volleyed a poor Turkish  clearance into the net. One-nil at the end of 45 minutes.

Not Much Life Here

The 2nd half didn't offer much in terms of quality. Both teams looked contented to just trade possessions; and cheap shots. Turkey battled a bit harder looking for an equalizer. They actually dominated ball possession, but couldn't translate those to clear scoring opportunities. In the end, Croatia held on to the win, and three points.

The Bad Tackle

Croatia clearly has the talent to bring them success in this tournament. In addition to Real Madrid star Modric, they also boast of big names like Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Rakitic. Unfortunately, their strengths only had cameos in the match. If they are to go far in Euro 2016, they need to find chemistry. Plus, they need more more confidence going forward.

Turkey has shown that they can be very physical and are not afraid to engage. Very solid, but sometimes lack the discipline. A simple defensive lapse in this match caused them dearly. Another thing they need to work on would be their stamina and physical conditioning. If they are to employ their tactics for 90 minutes plus, they will need a lot of oxygen in their tanks. Most obvious was captain, Arda Turan who was substituted in the 69th minute by Emre Mor.