Goal

List of goalscorers

O. Etebo
32'
1 - 0
Luka Modrić
71'
2 - 0
Press

Match report in news

End of match

End of match

  • 94'
    FT: Croatia 2-0 Nigeria. Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination but a valuable win for Croatia, with a first-half own goal from William Etebo and a second-half Luka Modric penalty giving Zlatko Dalic's side the win and sending them top of Group D.
  • 92'
    CHANCE! Kovacic finds himself in down the right but he opts to goal for goal from eight yards with Perisic screaming for the tap-in at the far post and Uzoho makes a low save.
  • 90'
    4 minutes added on. Two goals seems a step too far for the 'Super Eagles' at this point.
Card

Yellow card

a Croacia
  • 89'
    Brozovic goes into the book for a trup just inside the Croatia half.
Substitution

Substitution

at Nigeria
  • 88'
    The man mountain that is Nwankwo replaces Mikel for Nigeria. Too little too late?
Substitution

Substitution

at Croacia
  • 86'
    Pjaca is on in place of Mandzukic for Croatia.
  • 81'
    GOOD DEFENDING! Iheanacho crosses low for Musa but Strinic gets there first to clear. Both players need treatment following the collision but they should both be fine to continue.
  • 79'
    Immediate involvement for Kovacic as Uzoho has to parry away Perisic's cross low from the left form in front of the substitute.
  • 79'
    Kovacic joins the fray for Rebic for Croatia as they look to shut up shop.
Substitution

Substitution

at Croacia
  • 78'
    Iheanacho replaces Ighalo as Nigeria prepare their last roll of the dice.
  • 72'
    GOAL! CROATIA! MODRIC (PEN)! 2-0! No mistake from the Real Madrid man as he sends Uzoho the wrong way and rolls the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. That could be that in Kaliningrad and it looks liek Croatia will be topping Group D this evening!
  • 70'
    PENALTY! CROATIA! Troost-Ekong is adjudged to have impeded Mandzukic as he attempted to get on the end of Modric's corner and the referee points to the spot. The centre-half is booked and Croatia have a chance to put the game to bed.
  • 69'
    Croatia are strangling back some of the control in this one. Are the Nigerians a spent force?
  • 66'
    Moses goes down under the challenge of Strinic as he looks to get on the end of a Mikel pass but the man in the middle immediately waves him to his feet.
  • 63'
    Mandzukic heads a corner form the right high and wide of the far post. Nigeria may be having the better of things, but Croatia aren't without their threat on the counter.
Substitution

Substitution

at Nigeria
  • 62'
    Ahmed Musa replaces Iwobi for Nigeria. Could we see a change in shape from the 'Super Eagles'?
Substitution

Substitution

at Croacia
  • 60'
    Brozovic replaces Kramaric for Croatia.
  • 60'
    Ighalo meets a cross form deep on the left around 15 yards out but he can't generate any power on his header and Subasic makes a simple save.
  • 58'
    Moses gets his cross form the right all wrong and it sails into the grateful arms of Subasic.
  • 55'
    Rebic side-foots a first-time effort over the bar from a Rakitic cross, but the flag had gone up against the Inter winger in the build-up.
  • 53'
    Victor Moses has been getting into the game more and more since the restart as he forces a corner down the right, but once again it is cleared.
  • 51'
    Rakitic powers over from range. Could we be in store for a much more open 45 here?
  • 49'
    Moses cuts inside Strinic and attempts to give Subasic the eyes, but the Chelsea man's effort is dragged wide of the near post. This is looking better from the 'Super Eagles'.
  • 47'
    CHANCE! Balogun meets Moses' corner at the near post but his effort also takes a nick off his marker and loops behind for another corner. Brave defending from the Croatians there!
  • 46'
    A lively start to the second period from Moses as he robs Strinic down the left and wins a throw, but Croatia deal with it.
  • 46'
    Croatia get us back underway here in Kaliningrad! Can Nigeria find a way back into this one?
  • 45'
    HT: Croatia 1-0 Nigeria. Etebo's own goal is the difference at the break here. Croatia have been the better side and deserve their lead but they have yet to turn their possesison into gilt-edged chances. Nigeria must do more if they are to get anything out of this one. Croatia will go top of the group as things stand.
  • 45'
    GREAT BLOCK! Balogun attacks Moses' delivery at the far post and it breaks to Iwobi on the edge of the box. He catches an effort well and it looks set to at least test Subasic, but Lovren throws himself at the ball to make a huge block.
  • 45'
    2 minutes added on.
  • 45'
    Rebic trips Moses down the right after being beaten by a bit of trickery and Nigeria have a chance to find a leveller just before the break.
  • 43'
    Vrsaljko smashes an effort harmlessly wide form the edge of the box after Mandzukic had laid the ball into his path. Croatia are well on top here and another goal before half-time could end this one as a contest.
  • 39'
    CHANCE! Rakitic clips a cross into the box and Kramaric gets up above his man, but his header drops only onto the roof of the net. A few Croatia fans were off their seats but it remains 1-0.
  • 36'
    Nigeria lump a couple of long balls forward but they are dealt with without too many problems by Lovren and Vida.
Own goal

Own goal

de Nigeria en el 32'
  • 32'
    GOAL! CROATIA! ETEBO O.G.! 1-0! Modric swings the corner in and Mandzukic throws himself at it. He makes contact but not enough, with the ball deflecting off a helpless Etebo and beyond Uzoho at the far post. Unfortunate for the 'Super Eagles', but the Croatian fans don't care one jot!
Card

Yellow card

a Croacia
  • 30'
    Rakitic is booked for a poor challenge on Moses, the Barcelona man catching the Nigerian on the ankle after he had sped away from him.
  • 28'
    Rebic looks to nod the ball down to give Perisic a shot on goal but he is penalised for a foul on Idowu.
  • 27'
    A far cry from the Portugal v Spain feast of football we were treated to last night, but this is certainly a competitive game.
  • 23'
    Balogun needs some treatment after being caught in the face by Vida, there was nothing malicious in it though.
  • 23'
    A brief moment of panic as Lovren is forced to get a vital flick on the ball in with a green shirt lurking at the far post, but Croatia survive the scare.
  • 22'
    Ighalo finds space in the channel down the right but his low cross is blocked behind for a corner.
  • 20'
    Modric clips it to the far post but Uzoho makes a huge claim.
  • 19'
    Balogun brings down Kramaric after letting the forward get the wrong side of him and Modric will curl this one in from deep on the right.
  • 16'
    Kramaric has a go now! The former Leicester man isn't closed down 25 yards out and he tries his luck but it is always curling just wide of Uzoho's right-hand post.
  • 14'
    CHANCE! Rebic skips past his man far too easily down the right and feeds Mandzukic. The strapping striker drops the ball off to Perisic just outside the box, but his first-time effort fizzes narrowly over the crossbar. Uzoho had it covered, but we've now had a shot in anger here!
  • 12'
    Careful! Modric is dispossesed by Obi Mikel near his own corner flag, but Subasic makes a dominant claim in the middle from the ensuing cross. An uncharacteristic mistake from the Real Madrid man.
  • 11'
    Moses is sent racing away down the right but he can't quite reach the ball in time and it drifts out for a goal kick.
  • 9'
    A waste, Modric opts to go short and fails to beat the first man after having the ball returned to him, causing Rakitic to trip Moses to avoid a potential counter.
  • 9'
    Croatia force a corner down the left and Modric will head across to take it.
  • 6'
    Rebic looks to use his pace but meets his match in Moses who gets there ahead of his man and buys the foul.
  • 5'
    Another foul by the Croatians in midfield, this could be a fiesty one!
  • 3'
    Rebic gets to the byline down the left and pulls the ball across goal, but a green shirt is there to see it off.
  • 1'
    An early foul gives Modric the chance to swing a free-kick in from deep but Croatia head the delivery to safety.
  • 1'
    Nigeria get us underway here in Kaliningrad!
Start of match

Start of match

  • PRVW
    The players are out on the pitch as the national anthems ring around the stadium.
  • PRVW
    Croatia need something to change for them if they are to emerge victorious tonight. They've lost each of their last three World Cup openers.
  • PRVW
    The warm-ups are well underway as we close in on kick-off here.
  • PRVW
    No European side has tasted defeat yet in Russia, with Croatia set to become the seventh to get their campaign underway. Can they maintain the European bragging rights tonight?
  • PRVW
    Here's how the Croatia squad arrived a little earlier:
  • PRVW
    Iceland held Argentina to a draw on their World Cup debut in today's other Group D game, meaning that one of these sides could send themselves top of the tree with a win here in Kaliningrad.
  • PRVW
    Bad news for fans of Nigeria's somewhat jazzy new home kit, with the 'Super Eagles' set to don their much more low-key away shirt this evening:
  • PRVW
    Nigeria have arrived ahead of this one:
  • PRVW
    A surprise from Zlatko Dalic there as the experienced Vedran Corluka misses out on a place in the starting lineup. Nevertheless it is a remarkable strong side, with Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric tasked with pulling the strings from deep.
  • PRVW
    Croatia: Subasic; Vrsaljko, Lovren, Vida, Strinic; Rakitic, Modric; Rebic, Kramaric, Perisic; Mandzukic.
  • PRVW
    Defender Leon Balogun wins his face to be fit for this one then despite missing training on Thursday, whilst Victor Moses will revert to the slightly more attacking role that he used to enjoy earlier in his career when he plied his traded with Crystal Palace and Wigan as opposed to Chelsea.
  • PRVW
    Nigeria: Uzoho; Abdullah, Troost-Ekong, Balogun, Idowu; Moses, Ndidi, Mikel, Etebo, Iwobi; Ighalo.
  • PRVW
    A sneak peek inside the Croatia dressing room:
  • PRVW
    John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho are among the players included in the Nigeria squad, whilst the Croats can call upon the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic to name but a few.
  • PRVW
    Team news should be with us before too much longer and their will be plenty of familiar names on show from both sides.
  • PRVW
    The Nigeria fans appear determined to enjoy their day out in Kaliningrad:
  • PRVW
    Tonight will be the first time these two have ever faced each other and it comes on the biggest stage of all.
Info

Pre-match

16 June 2018, 21:00

Referee: Sandro Ricci

Stadium: Estadio de Kaliningrado

  • PRVW
    Hello and welcome! A tasty Group D clash in store this evening between two sides who have plenty of credentials as a potential dark horse. Following Argentina's draw with Iceland earlier today, a win for either of these sides would see them top the group come the close of play tonight.