Calciomercato.com

Croatia-Nigeria 2-0, as it happened...

Croatia-Nigeria 2-0, as it happened...

Croatia are set to take on Nigeria as they surely have their eye on the top spot of their group. Kick-off is set for 21H00 (Italy time) as this should be an exciting game indeed. You can follow all of the action with us here on Calciomercato.com

MATCH PREVIEW:

- This will be the first ever encounter between Croatia and Nigeria. Croatia’s only previous World Cup game against African opposition saw them beat Cameroon 4-0 in June 2014.
- Croatia have qualified for their fifth World Cup after beating Greece in the play-offs. - They finished third in their first ever appearance (1998) but have since then failed to reach the knockout stages in their three subsequent appearances.
- Croatia have won only one of their last seven World Cup games (D2 L4), it was against Cameroon in the 2014 edition (4-0). They’ve also kept only two clean sheets in their last 11 games.
- Croatia have lost their opening group game in each of their last three World Cups, their last two openers coming against Brazil (2006, 2014).
- The last four World Cup games involving Croatia have produced five red cards (3 for Croatia, 2 for the opponents).
- Nigeria have qualified for their sixth World Cup – they have only missed one tournament since their first participation, it was in 2006. In fact, no African team has taken part in as many World Cups as Nigeria since the Super Eagles’ first appearance in 1994 (six, including 2018).
- Nigeria have won only one of their last 12 games at the World Cup (D3 L8), it was against Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2014 (1-0). They’ve also failed to win the opening game in their last three appearances (D1 L2), remaining goalless in all three games.
- Ivan Perisic was directly involved in exactly half of Croatia’s goals at the last World Cup (2 goals, 1 assist).
- Zlatko Dalić will be experiencing his first major tournament as manager. Named 
- Croatia boss in October 2017, his team beat Ukraine in the final game of regular qualifying before eliminating Greece in the play-offs.
- Named in August 2016, this will be Gernot Rohr’s first World Cup as manager. - Nigeria are the fourth African team he has taken charge of after Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso.
- On the opening day of the tournament, Nigeria’s squad will have an average age of 25 years and 336 days, the youngest of any team in the competition.

LIVE COMMENTARY: