Croatia 0- 1 Spain; Bilic: Spain no longer kings of football
-
Spain no longer kings of football
HEADING HOME ... Slaven Bilic saw his Croatia side knocked out of the Euros last night...CROATIA boss Slaven Bilic believes Spain are no longer the unbeatable powerhouse of football.
.Now Bilic believes the world and European champs are vulnerable.
He said: “We were close, we could have won. They are Euro and world champions but I don’t see them like big favourites.
“There are lot of teams and maybe there are other teams who have more hunger to win and are more aggressive on the pitch.”
Iker Casillas made a stunning point-blank save to deny Ivan Rakitic with the score 0-0.
Bilic said: “He was a hero for them. Rakitic did everything well but it is not easy when you face Casillas.”
-
Croatia 0 Spain 1
JESUS HEIST ... Spain's Jesus Navas celebrates his late winnerJESUS NAVAS grabbed a dramatic last-gasp winner to send Spain top of Group C of Euro 2012.
But the Spanish fans were left hailing keeper Iker Casillas as their Messiah for a string of saves when a huge shock looked on the cards.
In the end, the Croats crashed out but they came agonisingly close to dumping the reigning champions from the competition.
Super sub Jesus Navas pounced for the only goal two minutes from time. But there was no doubting who was the man of the match in the eyes of the Spanish fans as they chanted the name of Captain Marvel Casillas at the whistle.
England manager Roy Hodgson will be praying his side now finish top of Group D tonight in a bid to avoid Spain — but even then, that would leave a tough clash with Italy, the runners-up in Group C.
Slaven Bilic’s Croatia did show England how to get at Spain.
The champions will still be a monstrous prospect of course.
But they have problems, mostly of their own making, as boss Vicente del Bosque keeps insisting on playing without a striker.Although he started Fernando Torres last night, the two-goal hero of the win against Ireland was hauled off after just 60 minutes for Jesus Navas, a move that angered his own fans.
All the talk of a “fix” came from paranoid Italy — a country whose game is currently beset with match-fixing problems.
There certainly did not appear any signs of collusion — that would have guaranteed both sides passage into the quarter-finals — between two of Europe’s best teams.
Italy had angered both camps by suggesting they would cook up the mutually convenient result to advance at the expense of the Azzurri.
A 2-2 draw would have been enough for that to happen and there were many chances for that to happen.
Bilic switched his regular 4-4-2 formation to a 4-2-3-1 shape to stem the passing flow of Spain.It worked as keeper Stipe Pletikosa only had to make comfortable saves from David Silva and Torres when the Spaniards managed a shot on target.
Xabi Alonso tried from 35 yards and Gerard Pique from 30 yards and that was indicative of how the Spanish were struggling to find a breakthrough.
Croatia, on the other hand, were always dangerous and Spurs playmaker Luka Modric set up Danijel Pranjic but Casillas produced his first of many good saves.
Silva then fired straight at Pletikosa and seconds later the Manchester City star’s toe-poke forced another save from the keeper.
The second half belonged to Croatia as news of Italy’s lead against Ireland forced them on the attack. Modric went on an electric run just before the hour, producing a pinpoint cross for Ivan Rakitic but his bullet header was brilliantly blocked by Casillas. It was a huge chance.Torres’ thunderous face told its own story as he gave way to Jesus Navas after just 60 minutes.
Within minutes the Spanish fans showed their disgust shouting “Llorente, Llorente” in a plea to bring on the Athletic Bilbao striker.
Bilic responded by introducing another striker and a winger in Everton’s Nikica Jelavic and Ivan Perisic.
Almost immediately they could have scored as on 69 minutes Perisic crossed but Jelavic just failed to nod home.Croatia were the better side and popular demand for Llorente grew louder and louder.
Instead, Del Bosque opted for another attacking midfielder in Cesc Fabregas.
The former Arsenal star scored in the first two games against Italy and then Ireland.
His goal against the Irish came as a late substitute after the team had played with an out-and-out striker in Torres and stormed to a three-goal lead.
It was almost as if Del Bosque stubbornly refused to accept the painfully obvious view that for all the class and sleekness of their passing, Spain repeatedly over-do it in front of goal.Andres Iniesta found Fabregas in the box but his Barca team-mate hesitated and his shot was blocked.
Another brilliant move, that started with Modric, saw Rakitic cross for Perisic but his blast was blocked by Casillas.
Bilic threw on ex-Arsenal star Eduardo for Ognjen Vukuojevic as he went searching for a breakthrough.But with Croatia throwing everyone forward, Spain hit them on the break as Iniesta ran through and squared for Jesus Navas to tap in.
DREAM TEAM
SUN STAR MAN — CASILLAS (SPAIN)
CROATIA: Pletikosa 7, Vida 6, Corluka 7, Schildenfeld 7, Strinic 7, Vukojevic 7, Rakitic 7, Srna 8, Modric 8, Pranjic 6, Mandzukic 6. SUBS: Jelavic (Vida 66) 6, Perisic (Pranjic 66) 7, Eduardo (Vukojevic 81) 7. Booked: Corluka, Srna, Strinic, Rakitic, Mandsukic, Jelavic.
SPAIN: Casillas 8, Arbeloa 6, Pique 7, Ramos 7, Alba 6, Xavi 6, Busquets 6, Alonso 6, Silva 6, Torres 6, Iniesta 7. SUBS: Navas (Torres 60) 7, Fabregas (Silva 73) 6, Negredo (Xavi 89) 5.
-
italy too could have beaten spain if they werent so wasteful.
-
Croatia is really wonderful for their games.
Too bad they kena knocked out, they surely will go further in the euro with their standard of play.
