Ireland vs Croatia (1 Viewer)

[Luther Blissett]

This preview of Croatia from Zonal Marking has given me even more hope for Sunday's game, especially the description of the Croatian back four:

Slow, narrow defenceWhat of the defence these players are protecting? Dejan Lovren might not have been selected for the first XI, but his injury was a blow. The first-choice duo is likely to be Josip Simunic, who at 34 is very slow on the turn, and Gordon Schildenfeld, who isn’t much quicker. They’re protected by both the midfield and by the full-backs, who play very narrow.
Domagoj Vida is basically a centre-back shoved out wide and offers little on the ball, and on the other flank Vedran Corluka offers roughly the same thing, though both Ivan Strinic and Danijel Pranjic could play there and offer much more going forward. Stipe Pletikosa is a good goalkeeper and a firm first-choice.

The preview of Ireland's chances is also worth a read - as are all the others if you've time on your hands.