Croatia on revenge mission

THE last meeting between the sides has been playing on the mind of the Croatia coach, Slaven Bilic. That was in the quarter-final of Euro 2008. Turkey, having gone behind to Ivan Klasnic’s header in the final minute of extra-time, levelled through Semih Senturk in injury-time, a goal that seemed to shatter Croatia.

Not only did they lose the penalty shootout, they then failed to make it to the World Cup, and have been patchy in this qualifying series. “We’ve been waiting, dreaming for three years to avenge that,” said Bilic who now looks weary, run down by five years in the job, his relationship with the Croatian media ruined by revelations about his private life.

Croatia is a small country and cannot readily replace key players. The big loss is Niko Kovac, now retired, whose energy and intelligence at the back of midfield provided a foundation for the more creative talents ahead of him. Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Ognjen Vukojevic has come in for him but his comparative lack of passing ability has forced Luka Modric to drop deeper and that in turn has blunted Croatia’s cutting edge.

Some of the potency, anyway, had gone out of their game after Eduardo was left diminished by his broken leg; at the Euros four years ago, Croatia switched to a single-striker system with Ivan Rakitic swooping in from the flank, but the 23 year old is has struggled for form since his move to Sevilla in January. With Niko Kranjcar out with a leg injury, though, Rakitic may have a part to play.

Turkey’s form in qualifying has been just as inconsistent. Guus Hiddink used four different systems in qualifying, in which just about the one constant has been the use of Valencia’s Mehmet Topal in midfield.

TURKEY (probable): V Demirel, G Gonul, E Korkmaz, S Cetin, H Balta, E Belozoglu, S Inan, H Altintop, M Topal, A Turan, B Yilmaz

CROATIA (probable): S Pletikosa, D Srna, J Simunic, D Vida, D Pranjic’, I Rakitic, O Vukojevic, L Modric, I Perisic, M Mandzukic, Eduardo da Silva