I didn’t watch the game today. But I was following it online while at work. And I’m pretty sure I missed one of Super Mario’s best games.
Mario Mandžukić and Juventus had a huge Champions League Round of 16 match against German champions Bayern Munich, Mandžukić’s former club. And it didn’t look pretty. Juve fell behind Bayern 2-0 in the 55th minute and it looked as if the Italian champions’ run at a second straight Champions League Final would end before their second leg ever kicked off.
However, former Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandžukić, who left the club on sour terms in the summer of 2014, was a man on a mission against his old club Tuesday night in Torino. With his side down 2-0 in the 63rd minute, Mandza would thread the ball to Paulo Dybala in the box following a Bayern defensive lapse to cut the lead in half. Mandžukić kept the intensity up and even found himself in Lewandowski’s face. Juve would find an equalizer in the 76th minute to force a 2-2 draw going back to Munich in two weeks. The Italians are still alive and much of it can be placed on their Croatian striker’s shoulders.
Check out Mario’s match highlights:
This video is unavailable
“Well, i hope this time i don’t prove u wrong but Mandza _is_ hugely susceptible to a red card. It’s always a huge risk. He’s on Rooney levels of psychosis.”
Based on what. the stats show he has one red card in 63 internationals. So you are wrong, plain and simple. But its funny how mad you are getting. Someone call the burns unit, Iggy has got some severe 3rd degree burns.
From that article it’s apparent that Cristina had his ego bruised when he was criticized by the media for underperforming. He then lashes out against the second string players (he’s gotta find a scapegoat). Well, they don’t call him Gaynaldo for nuthin’ ya know!
All would be well if he had scored 2 goals against Athletico, then he would be thanking the “back-ups” for giving him the ball and doing all the grunt work!
@JM
I don’t think he lost his spot to Turan. Rotating players is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. They also want Rakitic fresh for Champions league. Notice how Ter Stegen only plays Champions League and Bravo plays La Liga. Many players perform better when they know they are not 100% gauranteed a spot and they are not a lock for a certain position. Often you see players become complacent. Now this is a lot harder to achieve than most people think. You have to manage expectations, ego’s, team chemistry etc. It’s a difficult juggling act and if you make too many changes the team chemistry can change drastically.
http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/ivan-rakitic-is-most-picked-player-above-lionel-mess-barcelona-luis-enrique
Based on what I’ve read recently, they want fresh legs for the Champions league and they can afford to take a few risks in the league by resting certain players. The second Barca loses to a smaller Spanish club or drops to 2nd or 3rd (can’t see this happening this season) you will see all the best players will be playing. No more rests for MSN or any of the other better players.
Not the point, Kovacic is a back up and Ronaldo was bitching about having to rely on backups when the starters are injured. Basically, he said the backups like Kovacic are not starting 11 caliber players.
http://thebiglead.com/2016/02/28/cristiano-ronaldo-dropped-an-elbow-from-the-top-rope-on-his-real-madrid-teammates/
if i’m not mistaken, kovacic did not play in the real- atletico go, so wouldn’t make much sense to call him out…not to mention, real has actually been winning the games that kovacic has been involved in recently
on a side note, has rakitic officially lost his starting spot to turan?
James is better looking than Di Maria.
Just like they chose Beckham for his looks over Ronaldinho.
Bunch of fags at Madrid.
Not saying he is a scrub, just found it interesting that he would call out the benchwarmers on his team.
I agree that getting rid of DiMaria was a mistake, but for some reason they wanted to make the big splash signing in James.
We all know Kovacic was brought in for depth and the occasional start to this squad by a coach who is now gone. So, who knows what his future holds at Real.
Croatia vs Antwerp well said brother! Rodriguez especially has been very poor. Ronaldo also is showing his age.He is an old 30 !
Kovacic and the others don’t play enough minutes to be judged. If Ronaldo is gonna call players out, he should be focusing on the likes of Kroos, J. Rodriquez, Isco etc. Players who start on a consistent basis.
‘Cause lemme tell ya, Rodriquez ain’t no Di Maria! And Kroos ain’t no Xabi!
BIG, BIG mistake in breaking up the Di Maria, Xabi, Modric trident (after winning the CL).
Ziva what has Kovacic done to be a scrub? Ronaldo has been missing sitters lately.
How about Ronaldo calling out the scrubs at Real, Kovacic included. Not going to get much better for Real with the transfer ban.
@ Armada
That ’96-’98 crew was Croatian talents, cultivated in Jugoslav system.
It has taken us years to produce from our own Croatian system. Ironic that Šuker himself told me that we would never be that good again and now he is the president of HNS.
But know we have now done it!
Pipeline of young talent.
Good young players, playing for good clubs,
in good leagues.
Core players competing in the CL.
2 world class players.
It IS time to represent at a major tournament.
Make a run in France and the shock the world in Russia.
@ Svima
Some of you can have your skepticism but the optimism is valid and warranted.
@ Cynics
Self hating Hrvati need to get some picka and get over your self.
Uvijek vjerni
U boj
Za narod svoj
ZDS
Fuck you’re a cunt MelbCro. Did u read my msg or just the first sentence?
Remember when i said Iceland has no chance against Cro and u said they’ll beat us and then u shut up after cos u’r a dumb cunt? Do u remember that?
Well, i hope this time i don’t prove u wrong but Mandza _is_ hugely susceptible to a red card. It’s always a huge risk. He’s on Rooney levels of psychosis.
Now, lick me balls
Zlatan. Ok they can call us small fish, but we can never allow ourselves to accept that. It’s 11 against 11 and a football. Not economies or militaries or famous pop bands.
@croatianperson, I don’t believe, tottenham or bayern want mandzukic. That’s a made up story…
Or against Brazil of course. But listen none of the groups are easy. Trust me you never know what is going to happen, all the managers and players say it, it’s true. There are always shocks, so called shocks, there is always one or two big boys going home early, there is always one or two “surprise” teams. That’s the point it’s about performance on the day, desire, self belief, teamwork. What I hate the most in football is when teams just give up because they are playing a big team. What’s the point then? Not just croatia. Like every team at the last world were like “oh shit, we’re playing brazil, we can’t win” and I was watching brazil and thinking these guys are pretty shit actually. This is not a good brazil team, at all. Just get aggressive, concentrate and beat them. Colombia, croatia whoever. That’s why I was so happy when Germany just turned up and said “Brasilia who?” Bang 7-1. The game is not played with names, it’s played on the pitch 90 mins. Anyone can beat anyone, just do it. Been getting pissed hearing about “the big boys” big boys like who? Toni kroos? Wayne Rooney? Matthieu valbuena? Isco? Penaldo? Please. I’m not scared. Za dom spremni.
http://www.football-italia.net/80479/mandzukic-bayern-or-spurs
thoughts?
We definitely can win it we can match all the teams there at Euro 2016. I just think France will get favoured heavily by the referees because they are the host nation and they will most likely be in the final like Portugal in Euro 2004. usually the host gets to the semi finals going by history. France has Romania,Albania, Switzerland a easy group. Portugal has also got a very easy group Iceland,Austria and Hungary they need Ronaldo to get out of the group stage. I think England will not get out of their group with Wales, Russia and Slovakia all are capable of defeating England. As for Germany,Poland could defeat them, Ukraine will be competitive but not Northern Ireland. We will never get fair calls compared to the big boys by the refs because we are like a small fish in a big pond. You saw what happened with us versus Spain at Euro 2012 we didn’t get the calls in our favour.
Definitely zlatan. Ziva, we deserve as much to win as any of the “big boys” that’s what I’m saying. Not we have to win only us, but listen it’s there to be won, why not us. Our talent is comparable to any national team in the world, so if the players want it enough, more than France for example, with their arguments, or Germany with their overconfidence, or England with their media constantly unbalancing the players, or spain (too much paella) then we can be champion…..
Non Croats always remember Croatia as finishing 3rd in the 1998 World Cup. Unless this group of players finishes higher than that or win a tournament they will always be in the shadows of that 1998 team. Who cares if Modric,Kovacic,Rakitic and Halilovic played for Real Madrid. Club football you can buy any player you want such as what Real Madrid and Barcelona do all the rich clubs of Europe do it and create and All star team. At International level it is harder and you have to play with what your country has at it’s disposal you can’t bring in any player it’s a ore even playing field. That’s the reason Ronaldo and Messi haven’t won a World Cup or a European Championship but at club level they win all the time. Argentina has average players with Messi same goes for Portugal with Ronaldo. At Club level they play alongside star players. So International level is harder and more ineresting. Club level for example Champions League is getting boring either Real Madrid or Barcelona ,Bayern Munich.
Really Iggy? Nevermind that he has one ever had one red card in 63 caps for the repka. Try again mate
Mandza has the potential to be a huge liability.. don’t forget that red card he got against Iceland in the WC playoff where he put the team in a shitty situation.. sure we got through it but he made it harder than it should’ve been.. he’s the sort of cunt who will get a red card every few games and fuck the team over
He would get a pigs head with a receding hair line thrown at him!
Crnkovic………….sure.
Ohh, I know what I am talking about. You just disagree with it, which is fine. I’ve seen more mental midget displays from the repka than great displays from the repka in recent years. Hey, I hope we do see a semifinal run. It would be great and I would have a good seat to watch it.
We deserve to win because of the talent?????? Doesn’t that logic also apply to other top squads?????
Were our guys loving the game when they had Kum Kovac as their coach? Just checking on that answer.
@Ante B…..it wouldn’t be on the same level as Figo because Rakitic is not on the same level as a player as Figo was at that time. They would boo him and he would get an unwelcomed response in his first game back (assuming it gets that far). And this is where I don’t understand fans. Once a player is sold by his club or out of a contract and moves to another club, I just don’t get it why fan boys go nuts. Most people don’t work for the same company their entire professional lives. They leave for a better job or a better paying job or a job with other benefits that are considered to be better. Well, a soccer player does the same. I don’t know of many people who will say no to a better opportunity. At the end of the day these guys have to feed their families.
That would be incredible for us! Playing with modric and kovacic weekly would be great for the nt.
How would Barca fans see that move if it did happen? Something akin to Figo I would presume. Would he be immediately seen as a traitor?
Rumor:
Real Madrid plan Rakitic raid
Real Madrid are plotting to sign Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic this summer and have already begun talks with the Croatia international’s representatives.
If that happenedwe could seriously just call it Real Croatodrid or Los Croatos.
We deserve to win. Just because of the talent. Because talent comes from love of the game. So how much do we love the game when we have these wizards? We really love it, and we love our team. So get rid of the mental midget within. Lol ziva. Ok fair enough, I wouldn’t describe, perisic as a wizard. Lol. Sorry guys I’m talking shit. Just slightly overexcited
Armada. I agree totally. I’m not saying we are the best or whatever, I’m saying the squad is good enough IF the players perform and the manager picks the right team. I don’t want to raise false hopes, but I rate myself as knowledgeable football man and when it comes to young talents I never get it wrong. Ok I admit I’ve been wrong once and only once, I said Gabriel agbonlahor would be a top player when I first saw him play. The youngster coming through now are just amazing. For example rakitic, he is a much better player than he is showing for barca because the way they use him is wrong for him, they way he makes those stupid runs forward to the right hand side just to make space for messi. He hardly sees the ball. I’m just optimistic because of the incredible talent we have. I don’t say that to non Croats, but it’s safe here. The talent is just unbelievable. I’m trying to put pressure to say “hey…don’t be a bunch of losers, you have that talent, I don’t want to hear excuses, go and win”…..
@ Crnkovic
on the flip side, we shouldn’t be too confident.
we’ve had 1 major success and a few nice tournaments (Euro 96, Euro 2008)
what else have we done, in regards to tournaments? kurac, co, kurac.
are you happy when you talk to non-Croats and just bragging about the clubs where our guys are currently playing? i’m not.
i’m not being negative here, just being a realist. the fact is for all the talent we have and continue to produce, we don’t have the tournament record to show for it … we need to play better at euros and WC’s.
i don’t give a shit about how many of our guys are at RM, Barca, other big clubs, etc. I don’t care that Dinamo is a talent factory.
i just want results on the big stage, is that too much to ask for? do i need to sugar coat it? you need to be a realist when looking at past accomplishments, or lack thereof and then figure out a way to earn those accomplishments.
barring being placed in a ‘Group of Death’ in qualifying or at a major tournament, the norm should be that we advance out of the group more times than we are eliminated in the group – full stop.
Let’s bet. Croatia to reach semi final. Let’s talk, ziva
Too many things wrong with your comments to know where to start. Ziva. No we don’t have the best midfield in the world you are correct, the reason for that is that too many of our players are similar, not questioning their quality. bUT now we have pace which haven’t had since jarni!! Croatians are slow, but now we have vrsaljko, perisic ( ok we had perisic before but he didn’t know how to use his pace) , halilovic, pjaca, kovacic. The team has qualities it never possessed before. Finish second or third in the group? You know that is the attitude which stops people from achieving, you need to believe you can be the best. If Greece can win the euros why can’t croatia? Probably because there are too many of us with mentality like ziva, that’s croatias biggest problem, not LB. Lol
At the last euros, croatia played good. You have listed failures, but look at the line ups from those teams. Vukojevic? Jelavic and mandzu upfront? Modric has always performed, he has been let down by some of his teammates until now. Rakitic has only recently become a top player. Perisic has been useless but now has found his confidence after last season. You have to analyse these things ziva, not just talk from your armpit. He he
Ziva, you are so negative. Listen, if your going to play a right footed player at left back, which has been done successfully, for example Vincent candela, then pace becomes less of a requirement because they are not going to run on the outside and cross. Instead intelligence, passing ability, and positioning becomes more important. So you start vrsaljko at RB and Srna at LB. Jedvaj has played LB for bayer ZIva. You want to talk football? Please
If we’re hell bent on starting Srna at RB, then we may as well start Vrsaljko at LB. Vrsaljko needs to start. He is a star who will be transferred to a very big club in the next year or two.
Jedvaj is looking solid, and even he could play at LB (he has in the past for Bayer). There is also Strinić who is starting to get some games lately too.
No reason to play (let alone start) Pranjić in this role.
However, ideally, neither Srna nor Pranjić should start. It’s likely that we’ll only have to deal with Srna starting, but if both start, then our midfield will be flat having to cover for these two and we won’t do anything in this tournament.
@Armada
I’m an average observer so I’m no expert, the only observation I have is that Kovacic could in no way just yet easily take over from Modric and just imagine the young guys playing against a German team like the one that slaughtered Brazil, would be devastating.
@ Aussie Kreso
but if him and his generation have a pretty good history of shitting the bed in big tournaments, why bother with WC 2018?
In no way do I wish this happens – I’m just playing devil’s advocate here. Here’s hoping we have a strong Euro and then have an even stronger team going into WC 2018.
But if we come into the tournament flat and are eliminated in the groups, look at this generations tournament record (with a hypothetical result that we go out in the Groups)
-WC 2010: DNQ
-Euro 2012: Eliminated in Groups (yes, a very tough group)
-WC 2014: Eliminated in Groups – we were favorites to progess
-Euro 2016: Eliminated in Groups
So much for that world class midfield of ours then, right? If we were to be eliminated in the groups this summer, going into WC 2018, it will have been a decade since we progess into the knockout rounds LOL
I think if Mandzuka, Modric and Corluka have the NT’s best interests in mind – by post Euro 2016, they will all be around 100 caps, multiple final tournaments, etc. – retire from NT play and let the kids take over. Kovacic could easily take on Modric’s role. Hopefully we’ll have a defender or two from this awesome young generation at Dinamo now who will be somewhat ready to play along Vida, Jedvaj and Lovren if he ever gets his shit straight. Pray to bog we develop a LB. And someone from Pjaca/Kramaric/Perica will be ready to take the reigns from Mandzuka too.
@Armada
I strongly disagree, I would never retire a passionate and classy player like Modric for eg while he can still play.
Ćiro o tjeranju prostitutki i ‘gluhom krmetu’ 98.
http://www.goal.com/hr/news/12492/na-rubu/2016/02/25/20706202/%C4%87iro-o-tjeranju-prostitutki-i-gluhom-krmetu-1998
Anyone else read what crazy Ciro is talking about in the media?
Ziva based on skill and talent!
no point in guys like Mahir Mandzuka, STD Carli and the little maestro from Bjezigrad sticking around if they have this many intl failures…. i’d be fine with them retiring from the NT and maximizing their club careers at that point
If we shit the bed and don’t make it out of the groups, there should just be a mass exodus from this team. Way too many opportunities that they fucked away.
Srna, Pranjic and Olic are a given, but I’d say even guys like Mandzukic, Corluka and dare I say even Modric can retire from international duty if they go down in the groups. Keep a few key “veteran” cogs around (Rakitic, Perisic, Subasic) and just give the keys to the car to the youngsters.
Don’t get me wrong, we have reason to be hopeful. We are in a group where we should finish second or worst case scenario, third place. It is a watered-down Euro this time around with 24 teams, so there is a chance to actually get to the knockout stage and win a game. Once it gets to the final 8 teams, then the tourney will begin.
I agree with Ziva….prove it in France otherwise to date, going strictly by repka performances our world class MF has been on average ok, nothing more.
This is why I love this site; the over-the-top homerish, borderline fan boyish comments.
Best in the world?????????? Based on what? Members of the MF playing at big clubs?
I’m not going to lie and say the potential is not there, it is. But, what have you seen with the repka (and only take into account their play for the repka and nothing else) that indicates that we have the best MF in the world. Modric and Rakitic excelling at the club level sure hasn’t resulted in much national team success so far.
Doesn’t having the best MF in world usually mean we have results to back it up?
Vida did well yesterday against city…vrsaljko can fill in also…with our midfield it won’t destroy us not having a top left back…all teams have a weak spot…our midfield is the best in the world!
98 was a 3-5-2 formation.
How do you know Jevaj would be good in that role when it is foreign to him.
Lovren at LB? No thanks. He has trouble at CB against elite players.
Vida…..out of position
Corluka…….very small sample size against a weak opponent. He is way too slow to play on the outside.
Face it, this spot will be trouble for us. Not sure if Turkey or the Czechs have anything to expose that hole, but others will.
Hrvoje milic?…
Jedvaj would do good at LB I think, lovren can play there, Vida can play there, even corluka can play there as he did against turkey in the play off, and got an assist and a goal in the 3-0, leskovic can play there, he has some NT experience now, and leovac is a LB. And strinic I hope will come back. Just stick one of them there, I think it’s acceptable to have one position covered like that by a decent player. I bet even brozovic could do an excellent job there. Remember stanic? Didn’t do too bad in 98, for a striker playing wingback….if all that fails talk to jarni, he probably still quicker than pranjic
I don’t think Vida is an option at LB. I think he and Corluka will be paired as the CBs.
Robert Jarni born 1968, from Cakovec…turns 48 in October.
How old is Jarni now? Still in his 40’s?
If pranjic plays I won’t watch
Vida at left back at the Euros is a disaster waiting to happen. And he still might be one of our better options.
Danny j with our limited options at lb he is definitely in the mix…I’m curious to see if Strinic will come back…vida is class compared to pranjic.
with the vida playing well lb comments
does he get included in the LB mix for france?
i know super mario would do his thing
sure he can have a poor attitude at times but his fire is the stuff we need in france.
it doesn’t always benefit the team but he proved his work rate can change the game… and he did look to have some nice touches. all this comign off injury
i ain’t no italia fan but jebiga if i don’t want to see them beat bayern in germany. with super mario banging the winner!
Andrej,
A game is 90 minutes. There are many games where a striker is non existent for 89 minutes and yet he scores one goal and he did his job!
Mandzukic was involved in the setup for 2 goals and could have been a third of the shot was lower.
That games yesterday was far too defensive in the first half, not Mandzukics fault!
Guys, watch the game again. He was non existent throughout the first half and really couldn’t do much at all. He was working hard defensively but Juve didn’t pressure as a team. That said they switched up the mid in the 2nd half and started to pressure higher up the pitch as team, which it brought life to the game. Mandza definitely was pivotal in both goals and even set up Pogba for a nice opportunity. If you judge him based on the first 55 min; losing a heading duel to Kimmich sums it up.
full game; http://www.fullmatchesandshows.com/2016/02/23/juventus-vs-bayern-munich-highlights-full-match/
Vida got forward decently in the first half
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/fabricio-werdum-vs–stipe-miocic-to-headline-ufc-198-in-brazil-170223136.html
But Vida did well.
Vida as LB for Kiev against Manchester City. They lost 1-3 nut Vida die well.
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-ex-bayern-bomber-mandzukic-out-pep-payback#:w8FRKqj9Ym0rqA
Anderlecht didn’t appeal (they let the window expire) but UEFA can throw Dinamo out anyway.
He never worked like that for Kum Kovac
Mandzukic, his work rate was incredible yesterday!
Mission accomplished
I was really happy for Mandzukic. He fought hard and provided some excellent scoring chances to his teammates, great to see!
Damn, you feel bad for the kids at Dinamo on this one. So close to playing Barca and looks like nothing now.
You would expect this type of shit from jadan, mali i nemocan hajduk.
http://sportske.jutarnji.hr/nakon-velikog-slavlja-sok–nista-od–barce–uefa-izbacuje-dinamo-iz-lige-prvaka–/1527497/
I guess we find out in a few days if they will be thrown out. The rules state they should, but Anderlecht might be willing to let them go on.
You start him. If he is healthy – and even if he is on the downhill side of his career – you start him.
Kalinic’s advantage on Mandza is his technical skill, but Kalinic’s technical skill is not that much better where you have a clear advantage by playing Kalinic. Mandza’s physical play and work ethic (when his head is on straight and doesn’t get some form of mental midget disease) make up for his lack of technical ability.
I’m still not a believer in Kalinic on the international level.
If he can re-create this form in June in France, we would have a massive advantage….being this disruptive allowing perhaps Perisic and Halilovic to use their speed and skill on the wings, with freedom for Luka, Raketa and Brozovic to run the midfield engine would be ideal….long time in football terms until June though….lets see.
MANdzukic was in BEAST mode.
Coming off an injured calf no less.
I wonder how best to utilize him this summer for the repka ?
A – start him and bring him off when tired or ineffective .
B – bring him in off the bench against tired defense in the second half.
C – only play him against a favorable match up that would make tactical sense.
D – moot point because Juve will burn him out and he will be injured and unavailable.