Croatia showed their class once more by clinching their third top-three finish at the World Cup with a play-off victory over history-makers Morocco.

2022 World Cup

2-1

Zlatko Dalic's side were runners-up to France four years ago and confirmed their status as one of the elite footballing nations with another third-place finish to go alongside that secured in their competition debut in 1998.

In a frantic opening, Josko Gvardiol gave Croatia the lead on seven minutes with a superb diving header but Achraf Dari levelled just two minutes later by nodding home from close range.

Mislav Orsic curled in a sumptuous second for Croatia via the post three minutes before half-time and struck a thumping, deflected drive into the side-netting after the break.

The second half could not match the energy of a thrilling opening period and Morocco failed to find an equaliser as a fruitful campaign ended in back-to-back defeats.

Match Events

6' GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Morocco (Josko Gvardiol)

8' GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Morocco (Achraf Dari)

23' CLOSE! Modric’s shot saved by keeper

30' CLOSE!  Hakimi’s shot wide out

35' CHANCE! En-Nesyri header over the bar!

41' GOAL! Croatia 2-1 Morocco (Mislav Orsic)

47' CLOSE! Orsic’s shot wide out

72' No penalty? Gvardiol has been taken down in the box!

Line-ups

Croatia XI: Modric, Perisic, Kramaric, Mislav Orsic, Marko Livaja, Kovacic, D. Livaković, Lovro Majer, Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo, Josko Gvardiol

Subs: Budimir, D. Vida, Lovren, Brozovic, Pasalic, Ivica Ivusic, Ivo Grbic, Petkovic, Borna Barisic, Borna Sosa, Vlasic, Martin Erlic, Josip Juranovic, Kristijan Jakic, Luka Sucic

Morocco XI: Bounou, Boufal, Ziyech, Amrabat, Hakimi, El Yamiq, A.Sabiri, En-Nesyri, Achraf Dari, Yahia Attiyat Allah, Bilal El Khannouss

Subs: Munir, Saiss, Abderrazak Hamdallah, A. Tagnaouti, Badr Benoun, Aguerd, Selim Amallah, Ilias Chair, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Anass Zaroury, Yahya Jabrane, Azzedine Ounahi, Walid Cheddira, Abde Ezzalzouli