Kalinic keys Croatian victory, provides hope to Milan faithful
- Matthew Klimberg
Kalinic, who stood in for the injured Mario Mandzukic, won a penalty for Croatia’s opening goal scored by the captain, Modric, and netted the second to give the home side a 2-0 lead at Maksimir Stadium.
Such a performance is what Milan executive, and fans, expected to see on a weekly basis when he was brought to the San Siro this past summer for €20 million. However, after only two goals against Udinese and one against Chievo Verona, Kalinic appears to be a goalscorer who cannot score; akin to a bird that cannot fly.
The performance in the first leg of the international playoff should provide some hope for the Rossoneri faithful. Kalinic is certainly capable of scoring goals – as proven during his time in Florence – and hopefully a performance like last night will help unlock his potential.