Croatia beat the Atlas Lions of Morocco 2-1 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday to secure a top-three finish in the tournament for the second consecutive edition.
Runners-up in 2018, Croatia also came third in the 1998 World Cup, after beating the Netherlands 2-1.
Josko Gvardiol put Croatia in front after a well-designed set-piece play.
Lovro Majer lobbed a free-kick to Ivan Perisic, who peeled away from his marker to head the ball to the middle of the box.
Gvardiol was perfectly positioned to nod the ball into the net with a brilliant diving header.
But it only took two minutes for Morocco to find the equaliser, also from a free-kick, as Croatia’s Majer tried to clear the ball.
He miscalculated his header and missed badly, setting up Morocco’s Achraf Dari, who was alone in the six-yard-box to send home a close-range header.
Croatia scored the winner three minutes from the break when Mislav Orsic netted a dipping, curled shot from just inside the area that went in off the post.
They held their lead through an absorbing yet goalless second half.
Morocco’s fairytale run in Qatar reached historic dimensions on Saturday when they became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final with a 1-0 triumph over Portugal.
Youssef En-Nesyri headed the historic goal in the 42nd minute when he beat Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa to a cross from Yahya Attiat-Allah.
(Reuters/NAN)
