The Champions League Round of 16 is set!
And just in case you forgot, Croatian players have quite the impressive streak to defend. Since Mario Mandžukić lifted the Champions League Cup with Bayern Munich in 2013, a Croatian player has lifted it in six straight years. Modrić in 2014. Rakitić in 2015. Modrić 2016-18.
This year’s tournament could make it seven straight years.
Luka Modrić and Real Madrid will begin their defense against Ajax in the Round of 16. Dejan Lovren and Liverpool received a tough draw; being put up against Bayern Munich. Ivan Rakitić and Barcelona were given a favorable draw with Lyon.
So where does the 3/4 come into play?
Past, present and future.
Past: Croatia’s villain at the World Cup, Nikola Kalinić, who was kicked off the team mid-tournament by manager Zlatko Dalić, has scored three goals in four matches for Atletico Madrid. Chances are slim to none that he will be called up to the Croatian squad ever again, but at the end of the day, he’s still Croatian and he will be playing in the Champions League knockout rounds. Atletico Madrid faces a very strong Juventus side in the Round of 16.
Present: Well, kind of present. Mario Mandžukić has officially retired from the Croatian national team but he’s been on absolute fire for Juventus alongside Ronaldo so far this season. Juventus is expected to get past Atletico. But can the same be said for a Mandza return in checkers? He still has plenty left in the tank. Why not make a surprise appearance and hop back on the Croatian team right before Euro 2020 starts?
Future: 21 year-old Ante Ćorić will not get called up to the Champions League squad, but he’s still an AS Roma player at the end of the day. The former Dinamo Zagreb attacking midfielder is still waiting patiently on the sidelines, but his time will come. Roma take on tricky Porto in the Round of 16.
@maminjo
slaZem se
Bring back Kalinic! He played a key role for them in last Euro’s and for 2018 world cup qualifiers. He had 7 goals in 15 games. You could have Kalinic,Rebic, and Kramaric all upfront.
Kalinic
Rebic
Kramaric
Perisic
Modric
Rakitic
Vrsaljko
Vida
Lovren
Jedvaj
Kalinic
Kalinic is definitely good enough to be back on our squad, but I would never bother until he can prove he has changed his attitude. Also, why mess with what we started to create in November? We need to learn how to best utilize the players like Kramaric, Rebic, Brekalo, and Vlasic during these Euro qualifiers. That is why I have not been championing for Mandzukic to come back like some others. I truly think we can be a better team if we learn to play with those younger players and stop relying on Mandzukic’s great positioning and pressing to score.
@Soul Champ
From the few times I’ve seen Halilovic play, he still just looks like the same youngster who shows flashes of potential, but still doesn’t have the right understanding of when to play a final pass or when to keep dribbling. I did watch him on the U21s a couple months back and he looks like a different player there. He really just needs to find a small team that believes in him before we call him up to the national team.
Halilovic got winded? seriously?
https://acmilan.theoffside.com/2018/12/1/18119444/tactical-review-of-ac-milans-comeback-win-against-dudelange
Man, seeing Subasic in that final and Pletikosa in 2014 was depressing.
Playing time is at a premium for our young nogometaši.
@ Maminjo
Your points are valid and sobering.
Two elite talents on the pitch and the court and both are bumming it up.
Hezonja is 6’8”, agile, athletic with zero game.
Halilovic is the RW we have been starving for and his gifted left foot is in football oblivion.
Šteta
I wouldn’t be against bringing Kalinic back if his goalscoring form continues.
Thank God razbijac sees what everyone should see about Kalinic. Today on another site I saw Anthony Zoric comment that the National Team could benefit from bringing Kalinic back. His comments confirm how little he understands about players, soccer culture and a team atmosphere.
Subasic hasn’t been playing for Monaco because he’s still injured with the hamstring injury he sustained during the World Cup.
Yep, that’s how bad it is, which goes to show you he shoulda sat out the FINAL. If he had…well, the rest woulda been history!
Kalinic is the direct antithesis of everything the Vatreni stand for: hard work, selflessness, and a never-give-up attitude. At this point no way he gets called back no matter how many goals he bags.
I don’t think if he was on our squad throughout the tourney we woulda won the World Cup, he wasn’t a game changer.
And Pjaca, where the heck has his career gone! Looks like Fiorentina wants to off load him in the winter, as he hasn’t exactly cut the mustard. I think he needs to leave the Liga Petice and drop down to a 2nd tier league to recoup and hopefully make a comeback.
@Soul-Nikola was part of the mediocre old guard that needed to be replaced. We would have lost earlier with his primadonna ass there.
So glad we won’t have to talk abt Kalinic and Badelj as starters anymore. Hopefully Pivaric and Strinic are off the table also.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/a743o1/espn_sort_of_just_disrespected_the_entire_career/
wow my bad, old news
And Mamic is penalties away from being in the Club World Cup final.
Around Dubrovnik it says Game of Thrones on the Walls Moja Vina Gotovina.
@Soul
If we had any other keeper than Subašić, then we would have won it all.
Dude’s career was over even before the World Cup.
We dominated every team in possession, chances and shots in every single game…but we were handicapped and had to account for the automatic goal that Subašić would give up every game.
He’s the third string keeper at Monaco right now, behind Switzerlands former washed up keeper from years ago (who is older than Subašić) and some 20 year old kid.
He’s done and he knew it. He just wanted to end his career on a high.
@Soul
Whatever arrogance Dubrovčani had before the war, ended after that war.
Getting bombed by your neighbours for no reason other than to terrorize and destroy your 3,000 year old town, while the international community turns a blind eye (with a bunch of Dalmatinci and Hercegovci being the only ones coming to the rescue)…was a giant wake up call.
There are Gotovina signs everywhere there, for good reason.
The stalled careers of Halilović and Hezonja have nothing to do with Dubrovnik, and are strictly the result of a dumb father (Halilović) and a dumb athlete (Hezonja) who never had to rely on his brains and now he has to.
Halilović’s dad is a seljak who is being enticed by big names, without even noting these teams’ poor records in developing foreign players.
He sees names like Barcelona and Milan, and probably frowns upon names like Dinamo and Sporting Gijon (with those teams being a much better fit for a young developing player).
Dani Olmo’s father used to play division B football in Spain, and probably learned a thing or two about the importance of development. He looks like a genius now, having his kid move from Barca to Dinamo.
Halilović’s father didn’t learn anything.
If you told anyone four years ago that Olmo would be better than Halilović, they would all laugh. It’s insane how quickly things can turn in that age range.
How many nt striker careers has kramaric ended?. 3 by my count. Jelavic, kalinic, mandzukic
I’m surprised Kalinic hasnt left Atletico Madrid as well because hes a bench warmer for them as well. Real Madrid should knock out Ajax. Juventus will most likely win this seasons Champions League first they have to defeat Atletico Madrid.
Kalinic is a quitter. No need for Dalic to ever call him up.
@ Bobby V
Classic Bosanac moves by the father.
He has had some ill timed injuries, just when he was starting to get into a good moment at Palmas he tore his ankle up from a nasty tackle.
AC Milan move was bizarre? Gatuso is a smotan of the highest order.
Halilovic is the goods. He can break lines with his dribble attack or his matruring ability to find a pass.
There are so many teams in need his skill set.
Every mid table team across Europe could use Halilovic.
Problem is he needs a coach who believes in him and he needs to align with his philosophy.
His father has dimented his psyche.
Is this also a Dubrovnik issue?
Hezonja and Halilovic are two talented bums from Dubrovnik?
Dubrovnik, all be it breath taking, feels like it transcends Hrvatska.
Arrogance could be attributed to being Dubrovčani?
Then Barcelona early moves only adds to the hubris?
Rakitic, Basel to Shalke was the best move of his young career.
Brekalo – Wolfsburg.
Vlašić stalls at Everton and then remerges on loan and CSKA.
Young players need to ball and develop.
@ Ante
Love the 3/4 Hrvati in the CL.
Mandžukić needs to make it 4!
Roma is fronting on Coric and play the Italian kid over him.
Kalinic is the reason we didn’t win it all.
He could have provided the depth in attack we needed and would have scored for us before all these over time matches.
Šteta ..
Ante trying way too hard to be witty and cool with his articles
https://punditfeed.com/alen-halilovic-forgotten-wonderkid/
Shameful as to how his career has been handled. Needs to find a proper agent/club to save himself.