Albania held Croatia to a 2-2 draw thanks to a goal in extra time of the second half.Croatia is 56 places ahead of Albania on the rankings. However, facing the opponent who is considered the weakest in the “deαth” group, Luka Modric and his teammates encountered many difficulties.
Like the match against Italy, Albania created a surprise with an early goal. Jasir Asani crossed the ball from the right wing, Qazim Laci headed it strongly, making it impossible for the Croatian goalkeeper to.
The early defeat left Croatia confused. The 10th ranked team in the world has superior ball control (nearly 70%, according to Whoscored data).
However, the number of shots that Modric and his teammates took was less than their opponents. Croatia’s attαck was deadlocked and found opportunities with ineffective wing-crossing situations.
The most dangerous ball that Croatia created in the first half was Andrej Kramaric’s header. However, Albania’s goalkeeper made an excellent save.