June 28, 2021 - Croatia has been eliminated after losing to Spain (3:5) in the EURO 2020 round of 16 in Copenhagen on Monday. 

Croatia and Spain met in Copenhagen on Monday for their EURO 2020 round of 16 match. The match was played at Parken Stadium and officiated by Cuneyt Cakir from Turkey.

Unlike the group stage, Croatia had the support of many fans, with over 5,000 estimated at Parken Stadium today. 

Slobodan Kadic

Lineups

Croatia: Livakovic, Juranović, Vida, Ćaleta-Car, Guardiol, Modrić, Brozović, Kovačić, Vlašić, Petković, Rebić

Spain: Simon, Azpilicueta, Garcia, Laporte, Gaya, Koke, Busquets, Pedri, Sarabia, Torres, Morata

Slobodan Kadic

Spain possessed the game at the start and even had an early chance approaching the 2nd minute. Livaković was there for an easy save. 

Spain had another chance in the 5th minute which they missed in front of the goal. Croatia tried a quick counter but Kova played it out. 

Croatia was shaky in the first 10 minutes, which Spain used to calmly and confidently play the ball up the pitch. 

Gvardiol stopped the Spain attack with a ball to Petković who was fouled by two Spain players for a free kick. 

Spain had another dangerous chance in the 12th minute but shot outside the net. Rebić tried to find Vlašić at the top of the box in one of Croatia's few attacks of the half thus far, but the Spain defense had no issues retaking possession. 

Slobodan Kadic

Livaković made the one-footed save of the tournament in the 15th minute, and with the help of Gvardiol, the ball went out for a corner.  

A quick Croatia counter-attack in the 17th minute saw quick one-twos between Gvardiol, Petković, Brozović, and Vlašić but no progress was made. Croatia was saved by the hand of Livaković yet again two minutes later.

But a catastrophic Spain mistake put Croatia in the lead one minute later - and it was 1:0 Croatia thanks to an own goal in the 20th minute! 

The goal gave Croatia just the momentum they needed as they continued attacking in the 5 minutes that followed. Rebić was taken down in the box which Croatia called for a penalty (with no luck), and Vlašić hit the side netting moments later. 

Vlašić dribbled through the Spain midfield to find Kova who shot just over the post.

A corner for Spain in the 31st minute was the biggest threat they had since the beginning of the half. Another Spain corner in the 36th minute resulted in a shot *almost* on goal, but it went out for a Croatia goal kick.  

A series of shots on goal and incredible saves by Livaković ultimately became too much for the Croatia defense, and Sarabia equalized for 1:1 in the 38th minute. 

Spain had two corners in the 41st minute - the latter of which was cleared by Rebić's head.

Juranović had a good cross into the box with two minutes to go in the first half but the Spain keeper stopped the play. Kova played the perfect through ball to Rebić one minute later which was only just too quick for him. Morata tried putting Spain ahead moments later but shot over the goal. 

The match ended 1:1 at the half.  

Dalić made one sub to start the second half - Kramarić came on for Petković. 

A Spain free kick from 30 meters out was cleared by Vida three minutes in. Vlašić tried for a quick Croatia counter once the ball was cleared but took a long first touch. 

Brozović switched the pitch to find Juranović who attacked up the right wing, cut in, and tried finding Kramarić. 

Spain maintained possession again for the first 10 minutes of the second half. A cross from the left found the head of an unmarked Azpilicueta in the box for the Spain lead. It was 1:2 for Spain in the 57th minute. 

Rebić just didn't have it this time, and after missing a great chance on the left side, Dalić subbed him off Mislav Oršić in the 67th minute. With just under 25 minutes to go, the Croatia fans grew even louder. 

Kramarić was one-on-one with the keeper one minute later which was called offside. 

Spain subbed off Sarabia for former Dinamo star Dani Olmo, and Garcia for Torres in the 70th minute. A Spain goal was called offside a minute later. 

Slobodan Kadic

Dalić went in with yet another offensive sub, this time calling off Juranović for the fresh legs of Josip Brekalo. There were 15 minutes to go. 

A quick Spain free kick from the midfield line found Torres unmarked on the right side. He scored for 1:3 Spain in the 77th minute. 

Dalić made two more subs - Budimir came on for Kovačić and Pašalić for Vlašić.

Slobodan Kadic

A mixup in the Spain defense and a series of blocked shots in front of the goal saw Oršić score for 2:3 with 5 minutes to go! 

The ref added 6 minutes to the end of the match. Kramarić had a shot on goal which was called offside.

But then it happened - Croatia came back to equalize in the 2nd minute of added time - Pašalić scored for 3:3! The match went to extra time. Two 15 minute halves were played. 

Slobodan Kadic

Croatia had a great attack in the first minute and Oršić just shot over the goal! Another huge opportunity for Croatia came in the 95th minute with multiple shots on goal all saved by the Spain defense. 

Not long after, Morata was found alone on the far post to score for 3:4 in the 100th minute.

Busquets was subbed off for Rodri in the 101st minute. 

Kramarić had a shot right at the keeper in the 102nd, which wasn't enough. Spain came back to score again for 3:5 in the 103rd. 

The second half of extra time started with a stellar through ball by Oršić to Budimir who shot just wide of the goal. But there was not much time left for Croatia to get two goals...

Dalić subbed off Modrić for Ivanušec in the 113th minute. Spain attacked in the final minutes, hindering Croatia from making it past the midfield line. It was a decent effort from Croatia, but not enough. 

The match ended 3:5 for Spain. 

Spain plays against the winner of France and Switzerland, which we will find out tonight from 9 pm. 

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June 27, 2021 - Are other Croatia players in self-isolation apart from Ivan Perišić? A look at who traveled to Copenhagen this morning. 

Ivan Perišić, the best scorer and one of Croatia's best players in the EURO 2020 group stage, has contracted COVID-19. 

Perišić tested positive on Saturday and cannot play in the round of 16 match against Spain in Copenhagen on Monday.

Instead of going to the match in Copenhagen, Perišić is going into self-isolation.

HNS issued a statement on whether there are other Croatia players in self-isolation:

"After the Croatian Football Federation received a test that showed that Ivan Perišić tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the medical service of the Croatia national team informed the competent epidemiological service about the situation and showed that the national team complied with all prescribed measures of the Croatian Civil Protection Headquarters, as well as the measures of the UEFA Return to Play protocol.

According to the submitted information, the competent epidemiological service assessed that the measures were respected and that apart from the positive Ivan Perišić, who must undergo 10 days of isolation, other players and members of the staff and delegation should not go into self-isolation. The national team will fly from Pula to Copenhagen on Sunday at 10:35, where they will play against Spain in the round of 16 of the European Championship on Monday at 18:00.

We are aware that something like this can happen to any national team and individual. That is why we respect all the measures of the Headquarters from the first day, as well as the UEFA protocol, to prevent the possibility of isolation for several players. In the context of the new situation, the medical service is doing its best to prevent the possible spread of the virus, as we did successfully during the autumn when we had similar individual cases during the Nations League. This includes antigen testing that confirmed that there are no other infected members of the team. We are sorry that Ivan will not play against Spain, and we hope that COVID-19 will pass as quickly as possible and with as few symptoms as possible," said the doctor of the national team, Dr. Saša Janković.

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June 27, 2021 - Who will replace Ivan Perišić in the EURO 2020 round of 16 match against Spain? Zlatko Dalić addresses the press. 

Croatia will play the EURO 2020 round of 16 match against Spain on Monday at 6 pm in Copenhagen. Today, a press conference was held at which coach Zlatko Dalić and midfielder Marcelo Brozovic addressed the press, reports Jutarnji List.

The main topic was the match against Spain, although most questions were related to Ivan Perišić dropping out of the Euros after he tested positive for COVID-19. 

Perišić has to be isolated for ten days, which means he would miss the other knockout phases until the final. 

Zlatko Dalić announced that he will not change the concept of the game, which proved to be a winner, and that he has a real replacement for Ivan Perišić.

"I spoke to Perišić, he is upset, it's a shock, at the last minute we were left without the best player from the group stage. We have to adapt to that. He will be our fan. God willing that everything will be fine and we will pass, so he will join us in 7-8 days. We will play for him too. It is not easy for him, he lived for it, he is in great shape, he scored two goals, but it happened," said Dalić for Perišić and added:

"Spain certainly arranged the game so that they have a more defensive player on that side who would dedicate himself to Perišić. Now they might change that and put in a more offensive one again. We will go with the player who is most similar to Ivan."

Dalić did not say who will play on the left wing.

"I have said before that we have the best selection of players in that position. There is Brekalo, Rebić, and Oršić, who play it naturally in their clubs. If we agreed differently, Kramarić and Ivanušec are here. We are going for a natural solution; we will not think much; I believe that the replacement will be of good quality. Hard to be on the level of Perišić, but he can give a lot. So we’re not going to change much because we’re going to have to spin a couple of players; we’re going to play with the same option as it was before."

Is there a fear that there will be more infected?

"It was a shock for all of us, but we have been living under stress for more than a month. We are ready for that, we adhere to everything, and we are not afraid of anything. We do everything to prevent that from happening. I hope that it won't disturb us a lot and that we are ready for the game."

Spain is quite confident. Do you follow their media?

"We should not care who says what, whether someone underestimates us or not. We respect everyone, especially Spain, which is one of the best teams in Europe by tradition, and they are not happy to play with us either. We will not underestimate them; we will be maximally motivated and responsible, and it will be seen who is best in the end. We know what we want; it’s to move forward."

Will Ćaleta-Car play stopper?

"We will not change much; that is evident. If we rotated more positions to the players, that would not be acceptable for this game. It’s not my idea; it’s not my experiment. Let's go with the same game."

This time, Croatia will have the real support of the fans.

"It will be much nicer and more pleasant than in the first three games where it was really hard. The fans mean a lot to us, and we will do everything not to disappoint them."

One Spanish journalist asked Dalić if he agreed with Ivica Olić that the odds are 50:50 or is Spain still the favorite?

"We are playing against an excellent national team, but we can't say they are better than us. Although I have huge respect for the Spain coach and a team that knows what it wants. I believe in our team. But I don’t want to say we are worse than anyone; the chances are equal."

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June 23, 2021 - How many Croatia fans in Copenhagen can we expect for the round of 16 match at Parken Stadium? We aren't sure, but we have a feeling it will be a lot. 

After three matches in Group D, Croatia will finally have more fans in the stands at EURO 2020, and information about tickets will be known soon, reports Gol.hr.

Croatia will play in the round of 16 on Monday at 6 pm at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, and they will find out their opponent today after 6 pm when the decisive matches in Group E begin.

Due to strict restrictions, Croatia played in front of less than a hundred fans in London and Glasgow, most of whom lived in the UK, and only a few decided to undergo ten-day and five-day quarantines and several COVID-19 tests.

Copenhagen, however, will be much different. Pictures of an almost full stadium and celebrations of Denmark fans who celebrated their national team advancing to the round of 16. Along with Budapest, Parken Stadium hosts the most fans at EURO 2020 so far. 

Coach Dalic wanted only one thing in the round of 16 after the game.

"I only want Croatia fans in the stands, that's what I want, I'm waiting and dreaming, then we're much stronger."

He mentioned several times that his team was not in the same position as the others because of the lack of fans and the truth is, Croatia and the Czech Republic were the most affected playing in the UK. 

So, who can travel to Denmark?

Many fans have been wondering since last night. In this case, Croatia is on the yellow list, and the restrictions are much milder, meaning many will be able to attend the match.

"For trips to Denmark from the yellow states, it is not necessary to present a COVID-19 test when boarding the aircraft. Passengers entering Denmark from the yellow EU / Schengen countries, including Croatia, must present one of the following upon entry:

- Confirmation of full vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine approved by the EMA, and at least 14 and at most 180 days must have passed since the last dose was received.

- Certificate of COVID 19 illness, 14 days to 8 months before the trip.

- perform testing upon entering Denmark."

How to get tickets will likely be announced by HNS on Thursday after we find out Croatia's opponent tonight.

If Croatia makes it to the quarterfinal, they will travel to St. Petersburg.

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June 22, 2021 - Croatia tops Scotland 3:1 in the final Group D match for 2nd place and a spot in the round of 16! 

Croatia and Scotland met in the decisive Group D match for a spot in the EURO 2020 round of 16. The two nations met at Hampden Park in Glasgow on Tuesday night. 

Both teams entered the match with one point. Croatia drew 1:1 against the Czech Republic and lost to England 1:0. Scotland drew 0:0 with England and lost to the Czech Republic 2:0. Both teams could make the round of 16 only with a victory, and if the match ended in a draw, both Croatia and Scotland would be eliminated.

About 11,500 fans were in the Hampden Park stands, and maybe 100 or so Croatia fans expected. 

Lineups

SCOTLAND: Marshall - McTominay, Hanely, Tierney - O'Donnell, McGregor, Armstrong, Robertson - McGinn - Adams, Dykes.

CROATIA: Livaković - Juranović, Lovren, Vida, Gavrdiol - Brozović, Kovačić - Vlašić, Modrić, Perišić - Petković.

Coach Zlatko Dalić thus left Kalinic, Sluga, Vrsaljko, Barisic, Caleta-Car, Brekalo, Kramaric, Budimir, Pasalic, Rebic, Badelj, and Ivanusec on the Croatia bench. 

The game started promptly at 20:00 GMT. Scotland received a corner kick in the first few seconds of the match. 

Croatia had their first attacking play in the 3rd minute thanks to Juranovic, Vlasic, and Modric moving up the right-wing. Petkovic received the ball in the offside position. 

A cross from Robertson into the box found McGinn for a close encounter in the 6th minute which Livakovic saved from a goal. 

Juranovic, Vlasic, and Modric attacked again in the 8th minute. Adams retaliated with a shot on goal moments later. 

Scotland was dangerous again in the 12th minute which Livakovic cleared. They shot right at Livakovic for an easy save one minute later. 

But a former Hajduk combination eased Croatia's nerves. Juranovic and Perisic found Vlasic who scored for 1:0 Croatia in the 17th minute!

Modric nailed a rocket at the Scotland goal in the 21st minute which touched the fingertips of the keeper but the ref called a goal kick. 

A shaky and slippery Croatia defense nearly saw Scotland score three times in the 23rd minute, but Livakovic kept the result at 1:0. 

Croatia possessed the game for the remainder of the half. Gvardiol launched a play up the left to Perisic and Juranovic who shot over the goal in the 37th minute. It's safe to say Croatia was looking far better than the first two games. Another Croatia attack moments later saw Perisic shoot over the goal. 

But Scotland came back with the equalizer after a quick counter and mishap in the Croatia defense. Livakovic could not save the day here - it was 1:1 in the 42nd minute. 

The match ended 1:1 at the half.  

Dalic went into the second half with no changes to the lineup. 

A Croatia attack saw Josko Gvardiol and the Scotland keeper collide in the 49th minute. Croatia had their first corner of the second half in the 53rd minute. 

Croatia had a brilliant chance in the 55th minute, but Modric played Perisic offside which Marshall saved in the end. 

A Scotland ball to the far post almost found McGinn for the Scotland lead but Croatia was lucky to keep it 1:1.  

Croatia went back into the lead thanks to their faithful leader. Luka Modric scored with a classic outside of the boot shot for 2:1 Croatia in the 62nd minute!

Slobodan Kadic

Dalic subbed off Petkovic for Kramaric in the 69th minute. Barasic went on for Gvardiol in the 70th. 

Kovacic shot at the keeper in the 74th minute but Croatia continued to attack. 

Vlasic came out for Luka Ivanusec in the 75th minute. 

A sequence of two Croatia corners brought incredible luck. Modric crossed into the box which touched the top of Perisic's head for 3:1 Croatia in the 77th minute!!

Slobodan Kadic

A Croatia corner in the final minute of regulation time was played short to Kramaric. The ref added 4 minutes to the end of the game.  

Slobodan Kadic

A Scotland corner in the final two minutes was unsuccessful. Croatia finished 2nd in Group D for a spot in the round of 16!!!!!!

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June 22, 2021 - After collapsing on the pitch during the Euro 2020 game between Denmark and Finland, HNS and St Catherine Specialty Hospital want to help Danish footballer Christian Eriksen. 

St Catherine Specialty Hospital Management Board president and Croatian Football Federation health commission president Dragan Primorac sent a letter to the Danish Football Federation president Jesper Moller and Secretary-General Jakob Jensen, urging them to have their national team member Christian Eriksen (29) perform a comprehensive genetic test in Croatia to determine the possible genetic basis of cardiac arrest, reports Index.hr.

The Denmark national team player shocked the world when he collapsed on the pitch in the 43rd minute of the match between Finland and Denmark on June 12. The doctors revived him on the pitch for ten minutes. Eriksen was transferred to the hospital, from where he later contacted his teammates, and they then decided to continue the match. He was then fitted with an ICD, a device that can restore normal heart function.

It is known that the Croatian Football Federation and the St Catherine Special Hospital, in cooperation with the American corporation Invitae, launched a project in June 2019 to prevent sudden cardiac death, which with a complete cardiac examination (12-channel electrocardiogram, heart ultrasound, ergometry, and 24-Holter) includes the most comprehensive analysis described in the literature genes associated with conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac death in athletes.

Eriksen's genetic testing would be conducted as part of the project "Development of a Comprehensive Model for the Prevention of Sudden Heart Death: Analysis of 294 Genes and Related Mutations Associated with Conditions That Can Lead to Athlete's Sudden Heart Death."

If, after genetic testing, the occurrence of a mutation in one of the genes associated with conditions that can lead to the sudden cardiac death of an athlete is determined, it will be necessary to test his children as well. Eriksen, meanwhile, is fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) that can successfully detect the occurrence of arrhythmias in the future and restore a normal heart rhythm and save a person's life.

The first results related to the role of specific genetic markers as possible predictors of sudden cardiac death in athletes were conducted by scientists from the USA, Canada, Croatia, and Germany, led by Dr. Primorec, and recently published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Medicine.

The results of a study involving three generations of families of athletes who died of sudden cardiac death have been published, and the study has analyzed the largest number of genes associated so far with several inherited cardiac conditions leading to sudden cardiac death 294 genes.

Among the analyzed genes are those that lead to various disorders of the electrical activity of the heart, including hereditary disorders of cardiac ion channels, such as prolonged QT interval syndrome, Brugada syndrome, but also genes whose changes lead to structural changes in the heart, such as cardiomyopathies (most often hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), and several other conditions.

HNS President Davor Suker introduced FIFA leader Gianni Infantino and UEFA president Alexander Ceferin to the published, as it is now called, "Croatian model for the prevention of sudden cardiac death in athletes," which includes the analysis of the largest number of genes associated with sudden cardiac death, especially in players from risk groups. 

During the start of the project in June 2019, a member of the project team and one of the most prominent German cardiologists, prof. Dr. Johannes Brachmann stated that the latest scientific findings suggest that classical cardiac examination is not sufficient in the early detection of conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac death in athletes and that genetic screening in predisposed athletes plays a key role.

It was then particularly emphasized that extremely intense physical activity can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death in predisposed athletes. Following the Guidelines (Positions) of the Croatian Society for Human Genetics of the Croatian Medical Association, all persons identified through screening as persons at higher risk will be provided with information as part of genetic counseling during risk identification and after additional tests. This will be the basis for optimal treatment and, if necessary, exclusion from sports of high-risk athletes to reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death.

Since the beginning of the project "Development of a comprehensive model for the prevention of sudden cardiac death: Analysis of 294 genes and associated mutations associated with conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac death of athletes", on two occasions, the Croatian Football Federation sent a letter to all First, Second and Third HNL clubs, First and Second HNLŽ clubs, and First and Second HNML clubs, urging all players from defined risk groups (athletes with a personal or family history of cardiovascular disease, athletes with a specific cardiovascular result after a clinical examination, athletes with previous episodes of weakness or excessive fatigue that are not in line with exertion, athletes with dizziness or unexplained loss of consciousness and chest pain, etc.) after standard cardiac treatments, and underwent genetic testing as part of the project.

At the end of the letter,  Dr. Primorac congratulated Denmark on advancing to the round of 16.

"It was tough for all of us to watch the recent scenes of Eriksen after he collapsed in the first half of the 2020 European Championship match between Denmark and Finland. The most important thing now is that he is well and that the medical team has done everything to stabilize his condition. However, the New England Journal of Medicine, one of the leading scientific journals, points out that in about 40% of cases of sudden cardiac death, the cause remains unknown. Therefore, I believe that genetics and other OMICS disciplines will play a key role in better understanding the mechanism occurrence and the prevention of these tragic events.

In our comprehensive model of sudden cardiac death prevention, in addition to standard cardiac tests, we placed special emphasis on the analysis of 294 genes associated with conditions that lead to sudden cardiac death. Therefore, as part of the project, we want to help colleagues from the Danish Football Association in searching for the real cause of cardiac arrest that happened to Eriksen, to optimize his treatment, but also to determine the possible existence of mutations associated with conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac death," concluded Dragan Primorac.

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June 21, 2021 - Coach Zlatko Dalić and vice-captain Ivan Perišić addressed the press to speak about Croatia ahead of Scotland on Tuesday. 

The Croatia national football team coach Zlatko Dalić and vice-captain Ivan Perišić addressed the press the day before the decisive match for a spot in the EURO 2020 round of 16. 

After losing to England (0:1) and drawing to the Czech Republic (1:1), Croatia will face Scotland on Tuesday at Hampden Park. The stakes are high; for both teams, the victory brings the round of 16. 

It was announced this morning that Billy Gilmour tested positive for COVID-19. This hurts Scotland considerably, but does it change anything for Croatia?

"The rules are the same for everyone; we have to concentrate on ourselves and our victory; the rest is irrelevant. Some play at home; some can’t even have fans on away pitches. We have to get together and try to get through the group. There is no fear for tomorrow," said Ivan Perišić.

"It is not easy for any national team when they lose an important player. Scotland has a solution, they will be ready for us; they play in front of their fans, but we are concentrated on us, and a lot will depend on us," added Perišić.

How does Zlatko Dalić see the situation?

"Before the Euros, we knew that the third game would be decisive. This is the last chance we have to advance. That was the goal, and we must do everything to achieve it," said Dalić.

Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour tested positive and has to go into ten days of isolation, but not the whole team. Dalić believes that his absence will not weaken Scotland much, but he also adds that Croatia is damaged because they are playing without its fans.

"We are damaged around this situation; we are certainly stronger with the fans. We play against two hosts, and various things about the coronavirus have been surrounding us for a month. It will be very difficult; we are playing against an opponent who has the quality and who is motivated. We have to go out on the field as favorites. We must not lose patience; we must not lose our heads. Patience will be very important," added the coach.

"We travel every three days; these are not realistic conditions. I would not want Croatia to do something outside the field, but I think that the conditions must be the same for everyone, and they are not. But I want Gilmour to recover and everything to be resolved on the field."

Players are constantly being tested, and of course, there is the pressure of whether they will be positive.

"We are all under pressure about positive tests. We are all in psychological uncertainty that something will not happen and that someone will not be positive, so that we all go into isolation. I really wouldn’t want it all to expand; I hope there won’t be anything more. We are worried about COVID-19 in the Scotland national team, but we have to play that game."

Asked if any of his players had asked him not to play due to the positive result, Dalić said they had not yet been able to talk because they had just arrived.

"We just arrived in Glasgow, had lunch, and of course we'll talk. It is clear that everyone is in fear and uncertainty, but we have to play the game and focus on the game and forget the rest. Such is the situation throughout the championship. We are all negative and very careful, but you never know what might happen."

Is the absence of Gilmour a gain for Croatia?

"Every player is an absence for the team. Gilmour played well against England but entered that game as a reserve. Scotland has stronger players; I don't see that as a win for us. Scotland is a strong team, they play at home, and that one player who is not standard and will not play is not our advantage," added Dalić.

Source: HRT

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June 19, 2021 - A victory for Croatia against Scotland is now imperative for 2nd or 3rd place in Group D. 

The second round of EURO 2020 Group D finished on Friday and Croatia currently sits in third place. After two draws on Friday, Croatia and the Czech Republic 1:1 and England and Scotland 0:0, the Czech Republic is in first, followed by England in second, Croatia in third, and Scotland in fourth, reports Gol.hr.

Croatia must beat Scotland on Tuesday if they want to go further and can no longer pass as the group winner. Finishing first in the group is not the best option, anyhow, as first place in Group D crosses over with the 'group of death' - Portugal, France, Germany, and Hungary.

Croatia's position will also depend on the second game in the group. Namely, if the Czech Republic and England play a draw in the last round, Croatia can only continue from third place, no matter how large the victory against Scotland. However, they will need a better goal difference to be placed among the best third-placed national teams.

If England wins minimally, Croatia must beat Scotland by three goals for second place, and any major England win will mean that Croatia needs a goal less to skip the Czech Republic. 

If they have the same goal difference as the Czech Republic, second place will go to the team that has fewer yellow and red cards.

If Croatia doesn't go as second place, it seems that being among the best third-placed national teams in the competition is a probable option.

It should be noted that Scotland can also win third place with a victory, so it will be an all-or-nothing match.

Second place in Group D crosses over with the second-placed team from Group E (Spain, Poland, Sweden, Slovakia). If Croatia finishes third, they will play the winner of Group B (probably Belgium), the winner of Group E (Sweden or Spain), or the winner of Group C (Holland).

Theoretically, Croatia could go even further with a draw against Scotland, i.e. with only two points, but a lot has to coincide. Namely, Switzerland and Turkey have to draw in a direct clash for third place, Germany would have to lose to Portugal and still draw with Hungary in the end. 

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 June 18, 2021 - A new Croatia fan song from Slavonia is here for EURO2020 - introducing "Sweet Little Homeland" (Slatka Mala Domovino)!

A new Croatia fan video has arrived from Slavonia, just in time for Croatia's second-round match of Group D against the Czech Republic at EURO 2020! The two nations meet in Glasgow tonight at 18:00 CET. 

"The atmosphere from the recording of the fan song "Slatka mala Domovino" We are still doing the mastering, I believe that the song will be out a few hours before the game and that the players and fans will be able to listen to it."

Creator Hrvoje Podobnik Gero reveals how the song came to life. 

"I sang the chorus of the song 4 months ago. It was in the midst of the struggle of the civic initiative to save Požega Square from the intention to turn it into a concrete sidewalk. I guess that's when the patriotic charge awoke in me. In my sleep, I came out of the playing field and the fans sang "Sweet little homeland, my country Croatia, you gave me your heart, I will give you everything". I woke up and sang a chorus on my cell phone. When I woke up in the morning I couldn’t remember the chorus but luckily I recorded it.

I didn't have inspiration for the rest of the lyrics since I only got it a week before the first game. I immediately threw myself into filming, found a producer and people who wanted to participate. It was very tricky to perform this, I really did my best and I hope the fans will accept the song well.

The most important thing for me is that the players hear it before the match with the Czech Republic and that it gives them an incentive to win," said Gero. 

Sweet little homeland, my country Croatia.
You gave me your heart, now I will give it to you.

Do you think this song will give Croatia the motivation they need to win tonight? We do! 

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June 17, 2021 - The Czech Republic and Croatia meet in Glasgow on Friday for their second Group D match. 

The day before the big clash with the Czech Republic, Zlatko Dalic and Dejan Lovren appeared in front of journalists, meaning that the head of defense returned to the Croatia squad, reports Jutarnji List. 

There has been a lot of speculation in recent days about the lineup for the Czech Republic, which Croatia must beat to advance to the second round. Lovren has been training at full speed again in recent days after an injury, and it is now clear that he will still start in the 2nd round and help Croatia in the hunt for their first points at the EURO.

Croatia lost in the first round to England (1:0), and the Czech Republic beat Scotland (2:0).

"Every defeat is hard for everyone, including us, even if it was at Wembley to England. We know that everything is still in our hands, we have a good atmosphere, and we desperately need the right result. I am optimistic about the matches against England and Belgium in which we were equal with the best teams in the world. We miss the attacking game; if we don’t fix it, we won’t do well. Therefore, we will put a more offensive team, play over the flanks and look for one-on-one actions. Everyone is ready except Barišić," said Zlatko Dalić to begin.

"There will be some changes in the lineup because we will arrange the game a little more offensively. We miss finishing and breakthroughs. I was the first to say that we were too weak in London, that we didn't have enough players to finish, that we lacked one-on-one breakthroughs. Without chances and goals, of course, there are no results."

Does the team have a winning spirit?

"We are not in a comfortable situation like the Czechs; we need a victory that would give us even more self-confidence. The guys are aware of that. I do not see any problems in that regard; we are motivated, we are ready."

He then pointed out something else:

"We are in a tough situation because we play away, without our fans who are our strength, without them, we are in a huge deficit, and we really miss that. Look at Denmark's support. Half of the teams play at home, we travel. It is not fair to us that there will be so few spectators in the stands."

A Scottish journalist asked Dalic about Borna Barišić and whether his absence was a great loss.

"It is a great pity for us that he is injured. He played great for the Rangers; when he arrived for the preparations, he got injured again, and he was not in the right shape and completely ready. We left him at home to prepare better; we need him for Scotland. So we have to give another player a chance."

On adapting from warm Rovinj to cold Glasgow, he said:

"We had nice weather in Rovinj; it was too hot in London and tough to run, it will be easier to play here in Glasgow. We will do our best."

Stopper Dejan Lovren has recovered from an injury that kept him out of games for a long time.

"I feel perfect, I am positive, I am available to the coach. I’m ready to play, and the coach decides. We expect a pretty tough game, but we have to play it the right way," said Lovren.

What kind of match can we expect?

"I expect a hard game. They feel more comfortable. They have a team that has been playing for years. We have to play smart, to do everything that the coach asks of us. No calculation, let's go for three points."

What do you expect between England and Scotland?

"We are not a team that will look at the other, only if we have to. We depend only on ourselves, and that is most important. We will concentrate on the Czech Republic. Everything is in our hands. It will not be easy for England against Scotland."

Lovren said he has been following Euro matches.

"I don't have anything smarter to do. We can single out France and Italy, and the biggest favorite, in my opinion, is France. However, Italy is also extraordinary, at the moment among the three best teams," concluded Lovren.

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