• Croatia will face Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.
• Zlatko Dalic’s team have been a tedious squad to watch this World Cup.
• Croatia’s midfielders are used as a defensive shield rather than a creative force.

They first defeated Japan. They dragged Brazil down. They did it without style. Croatia has been a tedious squad to watch.

Zlatko Dalic’s mantra en route to the World Cup semifinals, where his team will face Argentina on Tuesday, has been to approach it like an underdog: he has limited the risk, curbing the attacking instincts even if it means going all the way into shootouts, and relied on his players’ unwavering mental strength.

After back-to-back shootouts, they may have fatigued legs. The Croats had a similar run in 2018, getting back on their feet after being hammered.

Dalic hasn’t tinkered much this season, unlike many coaches. His starting 11 and 4-3-3 formation have remained unchanged. Marcel Brozovic, Luka Modric, and Mateo Kovacic have been key.

But formation isn’t important. It’s risk-taking. The midfield advanced fearlessly against Canada. The same three players scarcely left their half against Morocco. Same with Japan and Brazil.

Even though his starting 11 and structure remain the same, Croatia’s attacking commitment depends on their opponent.

Dalic uses his midfielders as a defensive shield rather than a creative force. Against Japan, Modric, Brozovic, and Kovacic were 20m apart when the ball was in Japan’s third. Dalic didn’t want extra bodies up front to challenge Japanese defenders. Instead, he prevented forward counterattacks.

Croatia dominated Brazil’s midfield. Perisic and Pasalic didn’t have to track Brazilian wing-backs because they were in their area. So, Croatia’s wingers helped with midfield defence. Croatia stifled Brazil’s onslaught by stacking five players in the middle of the field.

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