🥇 MOTM: Midfield general that does it all | OneFootball

Croatia came from behind to hit Canada for four, knocking John Herdman’s side out of the Qatar World Cup.

And our Man of the Match is …

Mateo Kovačić (Croatia)

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Another day, another cracking game at this World Cup.

Canada got things off to a flying start with Alphonso Davies scoring his nation’s first ever goal in the competition but, despite their spirited performance, the quality on display from Croatia shone through.

Andrej Kramarić scored a brace, becoming just the third Croatian player to score in consecutive international tournaments, whilst Ivan Perišić set up two goals and has now provided an assist in every Euros and World Cup since 2014.

Both would be worthy recipients of the award, but a silent midfield general always tends to catch our eye.

Whilst Luka Modrić provides the technical spark that has inspired Croatia and Real Madrid so often in the last couple of years, Kovačić’s contributions often go under the radar.

The Chelsea midfielder was pivotal as Zlatko Dalić’s side shifted momentum in the first period, coming from behind the lead at the break.

In fact, the 28-year-old won all of his ground duels in that period as well as finishing the game with the most tackles won and chances created.

It was a rounded performance that saw Kovačić get the better of each and every midfielder who tried to compete with his dominance.

Croatia’s squad may be ageing but like a fine wine, their top performers seem timeless in their class.