Croatia ended their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign on a high, defeating the tournament’s surprise package Morocco to finish third for the second time in their short history.
With just seven minutes on the clock, Croatia took the lead via a cleverly-executed set-piece routine. A lofted free-kick was nodded on by Ivan Perišić, allowing Joško Gvardiol to cap off an impressive tournament with a goal from a diving header.
Morocco instantly responding to going behind. With another set-piece flicked on, this time inadvertently by Luka Modrić, permitting Achraf Dari to head home from close range.
Both sides displayed plenty of attacking endeavor throughout the first period, but with HT approaching, Croatia restored their lead.
Following some patient play from Zlatko Dalić’s side, Mislav Oršić curled an exquisite first-time effort beyond Bono’s outstretched glove, clipping the far post on its way in.
Croatia took control of after the restart, but as the hour mark ticked past, the African side remained in the contest.
Despite falling to defeat, Walid Regragui’s Morocco side can take solace from their unprecedented fourth-place finish, beating the odds by overcoming three top-10 nations in the FIFA World Rankings.