Today's clash at Volksparkstadion already looks like a battle for third place in Group B, which could be good enough for a spot in the Euro 2024 knockouts. If Albania impressed in their opening fixture, the opposite is true of Croatia, who are asking a lot – perhaps too much – of their 38-year-old skipper Luka Modric on his swansong.
Croatia's midfield, for so long the beating heart of the team, looked painfully pedestrian in the 3-0 defeat to Spain, a scoreline that could have been much worse. Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic dominated possession but created little of note for their front three, and out of possession they were bypassed with ease.
