Ante Rebic, Luka Modric, and Ivan Rakitic have Croatia in the knockout rounds and Argentina on the verge of World Cup disaster.
Croatia scored a trio of second half goals, one aided by a Willy Caballero howler, in a 3-0 win in Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday.
Argentina will enter its final match against Nigeria on the outskirts of the knockout rounds regardless of how Nigeria-Iceland ends on Friday.
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Ivan Perisic forced a big save out of Wily Caballero for an early Croatia corner kick that came to nothing.
Messi had a chance stopped inside of 10 minutes, then started a play that Dejan Lovren blocked for a corner in the 13th.
Enzo Perez missed an open goal off a poor Croatia giveaway in the 30th minute.
There were a pair of fouls not out of place on a red card lowlight reel, one for each team, but neither resulting in a sending off.
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Croatia took the lead through Caballero’s gaffe and Rebic’s smash in the 54th.
#MundialTelemundo ¡Regalito de @willy_caballero! que aprovecha Ante Rebic para poner arriba en el marcador a #CRO sobre #ARG pic.twitter.com/gzChwP1AqM
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 21, 2018
Argentina nearly answered moments later. After a mazy Messi dribble, Argentina regained possession in the 64th minute, spearheaded by a Gonzalo Higuain run that led to a corner.
Croatia came close to making it 2-0, as Mario Mandzukic couldn’t turn a flick on frame and instead saw it glide into the outside of the goal.
Then Modric put the match to bed as the clock hit 80, an absolute beauty. Another huge defensive mistake allowed Mateo Kovacic to cue up Rakitic for the third.
#MundialTelemundo ¡Golazo de #CRO! en los pies de @lukamodric10 para sentenciar a la #ARG REVIVE el gol acá... pic.twitter.com/QMgJXFZFDJ
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 21, 2018
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