Croatia’s coach and captain hailed their “fantastic” World Cup so far and said they were ready to beat Denmark on Sunday.
“We’ve played fantastically in the group stage. We must be proud of that. But for this new game, we must forget all that went before,” captain Luka Modric, a 12-year-old when Croatia reached the semifinals in France in 1998, said.
“It is a stern test for us, but it is high time that this generation hurdles this obstacle which we haven’t hurdled since 1998. I expect us to be capable of doing that … we are full of self-confidence.”
Although Croatia are favourites to win on Sunday, coach Zlatko Dalic said Denmark’s team play and strong defence should not be underestimated.
“We have the highest possible respect for the Danish team. The fact they have gone 18 games unbeaten speaks volumes,” he said.
“What awaits us is a very difficult match … the group stage will mean nothing if we do not verify that tomorrow.”
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