Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic has thanked Luka Modric for predicting which way Sergio Ramos would hit his penalty in their 2-1 win over Spain at Euro 2016.
Subasic, 31, saved a second-half spot kick from Spain defender Ramos when the score was 1-1, before Ivan Perisic’s late goal earned Croatia the win and sent them through to the knockout stages as Group D winners.
Modric was not playing in Tuesday’s game in Bordeaux due to injury, but Subasic revealed that the Real Madrid midfielder passed on some vital information from the bench about his club colleague Ramos.
“The captain Darijo Srna came and told me that Luka Modric said he would hit it to my right side,” the Monaco goalkeeper told BeIN Sports. “I waited, I dived to my right and I saved it. So thanks to Modric and the captain.”
Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic has thanked Luka Modric for predicting which way Sergio Ramos would hit his penalty in their 2-1 win over Spain at Euro 2016.
Subasic, 31, saved a second-half spot kick from Spain defender Ramos when the score was 1-1, before Ivan Perisic’s late goal earned Croatia the win and sent them through to the knockout stages as Group D winners.
Modric was not playing in Tuesday’s game in Bordeaux due to injury, but Subasic revealed that the Real Madrid midfielder passed on some vital information from the bench about his club colleague Ramos.
“The captain Darijo Srna came and told me that Luka Modric said he would hit it to my right side,” the Monaco goalkeeper told BeIN Sports. “I waited, I dived to my right and I saved it. So thanks to Modric and the captain.”
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has taken penalties for both Spain and his club side in the past, and scored from the spot against Slovakia during the Euro 2016 qualifiers last October. But Iniesta said that, while he had been ready to take the responsibility against Croatia, he stepped aside because Ramos had been confident he would score.
“I was going to take it, but Ramos was confident and only those who take them can miss them,” Iniesta said. “There is full confidence whoever takes them. We had the bad luck to miss it.
“When you lose it is never good, but this can happen and now we must get ready for the Italy game with the objective of going as far as possible.”
Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas, Athletic Bilbao’s Aritz Aduriz and Villarreal’s Bruno Soriano have also taken penalties for their club sides, but La Roja coach Vicente del Bosque says he always leaves it to the players themselves to decide who takes a penalty when it is awarded.
“This is something we have talked about many times,” Del Bosque said. “When we have a penalty the player most confident takes it. It is not for the coach to intervene.”
Croatia’s victory has major implications for Spain, meaning the defending European champions now face a much tougher route to the final, starting with a last 16 tie against Group E winners Italy next Monday.
Croatia will take on a third-placed team in Lens on Saturday and are in what seems a much easier side of the draw in the knockout stages.
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