The world runner-up Croatia and its star Luka Modric began their journey in the World Cup in Qatar-2022 with a disappointing goalless draw (0-0) in their duel against Morocco, this Wednesday in Al Khor.
This distribution of points opened the battle in group F, which is completed by Belgium and Canada.
The equalizer between Croatians and Moroccans at the Al Bayt stadium, which on Sunday had been the scene of the opening of the World Cup, is the third 0-0 recorded in this tournament, after Denmark-Tunisia and Mexico-Poland.
Modric, at 37 years old, reached his fourth World Cup but was unable to celebrate it with an outstanding performance, against an orderly rival.
It was the return of Croatia and its star to the most important football tournament, four years after making history with the runner-up in Russia-2018 and the final lost to France 4-2.
Croatia thus cuts its good streak. They had won their last five games played, four of them official, in the UEFA Nations League, where they managed to win their group and qualify for the ‘Final Four’ that will decide the champion in June 2023.
Morocco, for its part, achieved an encouraging result against one of the important teams in Europe. It is his sixth presence in a World Cup, but previously he only managed to overcome the group stage in one, in Mexico-1986.
Mazraoui lesion
In the first half, both teams seemed more concerned about not making mistakes and chances were very few.
Ivan Perisic had the first of relevance in the 17th minute, with a shot from the edge of the area that skimmed the top of the goal defended by Yassine Bounou.
Morocco responded shortly after, with a dangerous free-kick that Hakim Ziyech (20) smashed into the wall.
The best opportunity of the first 45 minutes came in the discount of that half, when Perisic put a ball from the left to the near post and there Andrej Kramaric put his foot in to finish and Bounou saved the North Africans.
Luka Modric sent shortly after too high.
At the break, attacking midfielder Nikola Vlasic, who had ended in pain after a blow, was replaced, so his coach Zlatko Dalic brought on Mario Pasalic in his place.
In the second half, Morocco began with fear and bad news, first with Nordin Amrabat removing a dangerous move almost over the line, in minute 52, and then with the change due to injury in minute 60 of Noussair Mazraoui, Bayern defender from Munich.
In minute 64, Achraf Hakimi tested the reflexes of goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who cleared his fists.
Morocco’s defensive order made Croatia desperate, which tried, unsuccessfully, until the end.
In minute 81, Modric hung a ball that Josko Gvardiol finished off with a header, who played the game wearing a black protective mask due to a recent clash of heads with a teammate from his club, the German RB Leipzig.
The tie leaves the situation open for both, who will play their next game on Sunday: Croatia will face Canada that day, while Morocco will do the same against Belgium.