Croatia Head Coach Dalić Will Not Change Lineup Rule Against Portugal

Croatia National Team Head Coach Zlatko Dalić made important statements to the press before the critical match against Portugal in the World Cup. Stating that morale and dynamics increased after the victory against Ghana, Dalić expressed that they did not plan major changes in the eleven to maintain this positive atmosphere. The experienced coach, who trusts the struggle displayed against Ghana and the three points won after the difficulties experienced in the first match against Spain, argues that his players must not lose that form. He emphasized that the team needs to continue writing its own story and that to keep this story progressing in a positive direction, it is necessary to stick to the building blocks of the Ghana match.

Zlatko Dalić also touched upon Portugal's performance in the tournament, saying that although he thinks the rivals have not yet fully found their rhythm in the tournament, they should not let this deceive them. Stating that Portugal has a very high-quality squad and possesses the power to turn the match around at any moment, Dalić stated that the team is aware of this danger and that they are continuing their preparations extremely seriously not to underestimate the opponent. He announced that they would be extremely cautious not to let any opening problem experienced by Portugal turn in their favor, as the match to be played to get out of the group is of vital importance.

Regarding squad selection, Dalić reiterated his trust in the players he fielded and won the match against Ghana. He stated that there would be no big surprises and that the same players would continue to be on duty as long as there are no injuries or mandatory changes, saying they wanted to continue the "story we have." It is understood that they prefer to maintain the current route to ensure harmony, instead of limited changes to the starting eleven, for the sake of preserving the team's identity.

The result Croatia will get from the match against Portugal, who are among the favorites of the tournament, will largely shape the way out of the group. The technical director stated that they aim to respond with an organized defense against the individual talents of their rivals, without compromising tactical discipline, in this struggle they set out with the slogan of winning. Dalić, who instructed his players to do their best to leave the field with a victory like in the Ghana match, clearly stated that the system and the squad would not change as long as disappointing results were not received.

Finally, responding to allegations of squad changes in the media, Dalić stated that they are focused on regaining the team's lost temperament and that radical changes in this context could disrupt the team's balance. He added to his words that the struggle shown against Ghana must continue as necessary, otherwise progressing in the tournament will be difficult and tough opponents like Portugal will not forgive this. In his statements to the Croatian press, he noted that they saw Portugal having a "little" difficulty in struggling, but warned that this could be a deception, and announced that they had completed their preparations for the match with the slogan of victory.