When the World Cup began, not much was expected of Zlatko Dalic and Croatia. A round of 16 place would have been satisfactory, quarter-final spot a bonus, but starring in the semi-final wouldn’t have been on anyone’s mind.

Yet here Dalic’s men are, in their first-ever World Cup final, after they dispatched England with a gritty 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic.

Here’s a closer look at what the Croatia manager – who left UAE club Al Ain under a cloud just 18 months ago – achieved on Wednesday.

KEY STATS

Goals – 2

Shots – 22

Shots on target – 7

Possession – 55%

Passing accuracy – 80%

30-SECOND REPORT

Dalic’s big call was to bring Marcelo Brozovic back into their starting XI in order to get Luka Modric further forward. The strategy didn’t quite work in the first half as England pressed Croatia’s midfield back through a succession of long balls.

Dalic appeared to push his side higher up after half-time and he must have issued some rallying words too as his side, and star player, got on the front foot.

His ability to motivate a fatigued team came to the fore again, geeing his team up for a third straight winning dalliance with extra time.

TACTICAL TALKING POINT

Cross, cross, cross

On the face of it, England don’t have an obvious vulnerability to crosses due to the height and physicality of their defenders although they can be error-prone at times.

But Croatia do like to use their width, and Wednesday was no different as they peppered the Three Lions’ box, sending in 41 crosses. Both their goals came this way – one directly from a cross and one from a second ball after an initial cross was cleared. Mandzukic in particular profited from the strategy.

VERDICT

The team that reached the semi-final in 1998 was the one always looked up to in the country – including by many in the current squad – but Dalic has etched his name into history by taking this team one step further. This was another battling performance from a Croatia team that is equal parts plucky and brilliant.

The manager and his side are now one step away from the ultimate glory – and one of the most unexpected stories in football history.

RATING – 8/10