Euro 2020 takeaways: Luka Modric gets Croatia’s motor running in win over Scotland

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This article was published 22/06/2021 (1930 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It wouldn’t be a major international tournament featuring Luka Modric if the Croatian midfielder didn’t pull off a moment of magic.

This time, he waited until his country needed him most.

The 2018 World Cup runners-up entered Euro 2020 with questions about an aging roster, featuring the 35-year-old Modric. A loss to England and tie with the Czech Republic did little to ease those concerns, with Modric in a deeper role than he usually plays.

As a result, underdog Scotland reached the final day of round-robin action with hope. At one point apiece after two matches, the winner of Tuesday’s match against the Croats would advance to the knockout round. Man for man, the Scots matched up well — until you reached Modric.

In a more advanced role, the Real Madrid midfielder was back to being the heartbeat of the squad in front of a raucous, hostile crowd at Hampden Park in Glasgow. A world-class, game-winning goal in the 62nd minute — struck with the outside of his foot into the top right corner — was the highlight of a 3-1 victory. Throughout the match, he was the engine in midfield that Croatia had been lacking.

Modric is now the oldest and youngest (against Austria in 2008 at 22 years, 273 days) ever to score for his country at the Euros.

It’s too soon to tell whether Croatia will commit to the tactical change going forward, but if this is just the start for Modric at Euro 2020, their run could be deeper than expected.

• England’s challenge: Winning Group D with a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic doesn’t mean England will be catching any breaks from here. The Three Lions will face the second-place team in Group F — likely Germany, France or Portugal — in the round of 16.

To be the best you have to beat the best, or so the saying goes. England will face that challenge early in the tournament.

Clean sheets in all three matches so far — a first for England in group-stage play since winning the 1966 World Cup — were a good sign for Gareth Southgate’s side, as was the return of defender Harry McGuire and holding midfielder Jordan Henderson from injuries. But their group wasn’t the most potent offensively with just 10 goals combined.

Meanwhile, a second-place finish and easier immediate path seemed to suit the Czechs just fine.

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Southgate played nearly all of his attackers in the group stage, and got invigorating performances from Bukayo Saka and Jack Grealish on Tuesday. But it remains unclear if Southgate has settled on his best 11. England has looked sluggish and uninspired at times up front, including in the second half against the Czechs.

And so England’s group stage ends where it has before: with a fan base balancing sky-high expectations and a healthy dose of concern.

• What it all means: It’s hard to overstate how much competing in a European championship means to a country’s players and fans. No one at Hampden Park was taking the opportunity for granted on Tuesday. Modric, who has advanced through the group stage many times in past tournaments, fell to his knees in celebration of Croatia’s win over Scotland, pumping his arms in celebration. Scottish fans, meanwhile, didn’t let the disappointment overwhelm them, on their feet as the final whistle blew in a show of support for a squad that reached its first major competition in 22 years.

• How did we do? The Star’s pre-tournament predictions had Group D finishing England, Czech Republic, Croatia and Scotland. Like Scotland, we were stumped by Croatia in the end.

• On the docket: Group stage play wraps up Wednesday, with much left to be decided.

Group E remains wide open. Sweden is through with four points, but could still finish as low as third place. Poland needs to beat the Swedes to advance and could win the group depending on the Spain-Slovakia result. Spain would move on with a win, though a draw could also get them through if Poland loses. Slovakia needs a point to advance but, like Sweden, could finish anywhere from first to third. Both games kick off at noon ET.

Group F is no more straightforward. A victory by France — the only team in the group guaranteed to move on — over Portugal would secure top spot. Portugal needs a point to advance, as does Germany, which faces Hungary. The Hungarians need to beat Germany for any sort of shot at the knockout stages. The four best third-place teams will also be settled after Wednesday’s games.

Laura Armstrong is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @lauraarmy