FIFA World Cup Play-off - Croatia 4 - 1 Greece: Player ratings

Nima Tavallaey Roodsari (@NimaTavRood)
10 nov 2017

Greece are all but eliminated from next summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia after a heavy 4-1 defeat in the first leg of their play-off match away against Croatia at the Maksimir Stadion in Zagreb.

Croatia were 2 goals up after only 20 minutes thanks to a goal each by Real Madrid midfielder Luca Modric and AC Milan striker Nikola Kalinic. Greece however bounced back thanks to goal from Sokratis but Inter winger Ivan Perisic restored Croatia's 2-goal advantage 3 minutes later by making it 3-1 in the 33rd minute.

Andrej Kramaric scored early in the second half to make it 4-1 which was the final result and which means that Greece have to win by 3-0 during the return leg to go through to the World Cup. If the Greek's concede a goal they will have to score 4 in order to take it to extra time.

Player ratings:

Croatia (4-2-3-1): Subasic (6); Vrsaljko (7), Lovren (6), Vida (6), Strinic (6,5); Rakitic (6,5), Brozovic (6); Perisic (6,5), Modric (7,5), Kramaric (7,5); Kalinic (8).

Subs: Rebic (6), Vlasic (N/A), Pasalic (N/A).

Greece (3-5-1-1): Karnezis (5); Papadopoulos (5,5), Sokratis (6), Tzavellas (5,5); Maniatis (5,5), Zeca (6), Tziolis (5,5), Samaris (5,5), Stafilydis (5); Fortounis (6); Mitroglou (6).

Subs: Retsos (6), Tachtsidis (6), Bakasetas (6).