Modric dan Rakitic Akan Bikin Repot Lini Tengah Brasil
Modric and Rakitic are Better Than Brazil`s Midfield
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
LUKA Modric dan Ivan Rakitic mendukung klub masing-masing berlaga di Liga Champions dan Liga Europa musim ini.
Luiz Gustavo dan Paulinho, sementara itu, tampil biasa saja bagi klub mereka di Jerman dan Inggris yang berakhir di urutan kelima dan keenam di liga masing-masing, seperti dilansir MailOnline.
Duet pemain brilian lini tengah Kroasia, diyakini memiliki peluang mengalahkan Brasil di pertandingan pembukaan Piala Dunia di Sao Paulo Jumat dini hari.
Apa pun bisa saja terjadi yang tak pernah diduga Brasil, dan di luar dugaan banyak orang.
Kroasia mempertunjukkan salah satu penampilan terbaik mereka di tahun-tahun ketika mereka mengalahkan Serbia 2-0 tahun lalu dan, meskipun penampilan mereka memburuk setelah hasil tersebut, penunjukan mantan pemain Niko Kovac menjadi pelatih membangkitkan semangat skuad.
Brazil, sementara itu, berjuang melawan lawan yang sama pekan lalu, yang bekerja untuk sekadar menang 1-0 dari gol babak kedua dari Fred.
Serbia dikenal disiplin mengusung formasi permainan 4-2-3-1 yang membuat frustrasi Neymar dkk, mendorong ejekan dari fans Brasil di babak pertama dan peluit akhir.
Kovac akan belajar dari cara Serbia menahan Brasil di lini tengah dan bagaimana mereka berusaha untuk mengeksploitasi kekosongan yang ditinggalkan oleh Neymar dan Hulk ketika Brasil dalam posisi bertahan.
LUKA Modric and Ivan Rakitic led their club sides to the Champions League and Europa League titles this season.
Luiz Gustavo and Paulinho, meanwhile, performed averagely for German and English teams that finished fifth and sixth in their respective leagues.
Despite Croatia’s brilliant central-midfield pairing, few believe they have a hope of beating Brazil in the opening game of the World Cup in Sao Paulo this evening.
Anything but a Brazil win might be unexpected, but it is certainly not out of the question.
Below, Sportsmail takes a look at why Croatia might ruin the party tonight…
Croatia produced one of their best performances in years when they beat Serbia 2-0 last year and, though their form dropped after that result, the appointment of former player Niko Kovac has reinvigorated the squad.
Brazil, meanwhile, struggled against the same opponents last week, labouring to a 1-0 win courtesy of a second-half goal from Fred.
A disciplined Serbia side lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that frustrated Neymar et al, prompting jeers from Brazil fans at half-time and the final whistle.
Kovac will have learned from the way Serbia stifled Brazil in midfield and how they tried to exploit the gaps left by Neymar and Hulk when Brazil were not in possession.
