Clinical Croatia put five past Norway
Niko Kovač's side remained unbeaten in Group H with an impressive display in Zagreb, Luka Modrić pulling the strings.
Croatia back to winning ways with impressive home display against Norway
• Ivan Perišić makes it four qualifying goals early in second half
• Niko Kovač's side score twice in closing stages to complete fine win
• Norway suffer second Group H defeat in fifth fixture
• Next qualifiers: Croatia v Italy, Norway v Azerbaijan (12 June)
• Ivan Perišić makes it four qualifying goals early in second half
• Niko Kovač's side score twice in closing stages to complete fine win
• Norway suffer second Group H defeat in fifth fixture
• Next qualifiers: Croatia v Italy, Norway v Azerbaijan (12 June)
Croatia remained unbeaten and top of UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group H after an ultimately comfortable victory against Norway in Zagreb.
Home coach Niko Kovač was able to include Luka Modrić, who had not trained for three days due to flu. The Real Madrid CF midfielder had a hand in the opening goal, sending a low pass to the right for Ivica Olić, who picked out Marcelo Brozović for a superb finish from more than 20 metres.
That came from one of the few clear chances in the first half, as Norway largely held firm. The only other Croatian opening came in the 20th minute from Brozović's shot; having got his eye in, ten minutes later he made no mistake.
In the second half another Kovač decision came good; the coach had preferred Ivan Perišić to Andrej Kramarić and, nine minutes after the restart, Perišić scored his fourth goal in as many qualifying matches. The midfielder played a one-two with Ivan Rakitić and fired into the opposite corner of the net.
It was soon 3-0, Mario Mandžukić playing in Olić to slide in, and Norway's fast-fading hopes were effectively extinguished three minutes later. Vedran Ćorluka fouled Tarik Elyounoussi, who picked himself up to take the penalty himself, only for his effort to rebound off the woodwork.
Ćorluka collected his second yellow card of the evening with 16 minutes remaining, and Norway pulled one back through Alexander Tettey's strike. Hopes of an unlikely comeback came to nothing, however, as Croatia scored twice in the closing stages to complete a comprehesive win.
First substitute Gordon Schildenfeld got in front of his marker at the near post to head in Darijo Srna's corner, before Modrić's neat feet gave him the chance to slip in Danijel Pranjić on the left. The full-back's initial effort was beaten away by Ørjan Nyland but the No3 collected the rebound and found the net with a deflected shot.
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