Euro 2016 Croatia vs Turkey, Highlights: Luka Modric Strike The Difference As CRO Defeat TUR 1-0
Luka Modric scored a thunderous volley to put Croatia in front shortly before half-time. Both Croatia and Turkey failed to find the back of the net in the second half of the Euro 2016 encounter in Paris. Catch highlights of CRO vs TUR here.
Croatia started their Euro 2016 campaign with a 1-0 win over Turkey at Paris' Parc des Princes stadium. The Croats picked up all three points thanks to Luka Modric's impressive volley in the 41st minute. It should have been far more comfortable but Croatia could not add to Modric's strike just before the interval. Turkey just did not have enough to trouble Croatia. Get all the highlights of CRO vs TUR here. (SCORECARD | SCHEDULE | STREAMING INFO | NEWS)
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The teams met at Euro 96 in England, Croatia winning 1-0 late on, and in qualifying for Euro 2012, when the Croats again prevailed. But it is their encounter at Euro 2008 that rekindles the strongest emotions.
A classy Croatian team took the lead through Ivan Klasnic in the penultimate minute of extra time in their quarter-final in Vienna, only for Semih Senturk to equalise in the second minute of stoppage time before the Turks won on penalties.
Croatia is blessed with exceptional quality in the middle of the pitch, where Real Madrid maestro Modric and Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic pull the strings in a Spanish-accented midfield.
Cacic is expected to deploy Fiorentina's Milan Badelj alongside Modric as one of the holding midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation, affording the former Tottenham Hotspur schemer more freedom to get forward.
Turkey's qualifying campaign, in contrast, was a rollercoaster, as opening defeats against Iceland and the Netherlands, plus a draw against Latvia, left them with a mountain to climb.
But they produced a stunning flourish, beating The Netherlands 3-0, winning 2-0 away to the Czech Republic and then edging Iceland courtesy of a 89th-minute Selcuk Inan free-kick to qualify as the best third-place team.