Nation’s media applaud Tottenham star for WC display, but say he ‘suffered’ in attack

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Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti have applauded Tottenham winger Ivan Perisic for his performance against Belgium on Thursday evening – even though they claim he suffered in attack, as the two nations played out a 0-0 draw.

Perisic, 33, came up against Tottenham icons Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen in Qatar last night. Croatia needed to avoid defeat to qualify, while Belgium had to win. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, and Belgium were knocked out.

A result that also saw ex-Everton and Wigan manager Roberto Martinez confirm it was his last game in charge of the Belgians. Perisic and Croatia go into the knockout stages, where they will now take on Japan in the last 16.

But Croatia are far from their impressive best. Two 0-0 draws in the group stages, either side of a 4-1 win over Canada will be a cause for concern. Perisic has started all three games, completing 90 minutes on Thursday against Belgium.

Sportske Novosti handed Perisic a rating of 7/10, praising his work rate and defensive positioning. But they say Perisic did little to impact his side in the final third – despite having a shot that whistled wide in the opening 10 seconds.

“Half a mark higher for an exceptional job in the defensive block. Prema was not typically penetrating at first, but he played extremely engaged in both directions. The freshness in the attack then suffers,” Sportske Novosti report.

Sportske Novosti applaud Tottenham winger Perisic for performance

Perisic has been excellent for Croatia. He got two assists in the 4-1 win over Canada, his ninth and tenth assists of the season – clocking up 27 appearances for club and country. For a player of his age, an incredible amount of game time.

The ex-Inter Milan and Bayern Munich star continues to prove that age is just a number. Perisic has been excellent for Spurs and even better for Croatia. Despite finishing second, they face Japan – a really good draw for Perisic’s Croatia.

With every performance, you can see Croatia growing with confidence and it would be foolish to rule them out as potential winners of the entire tournament. If they do go far, £180k-a-week Perisic will be a crucial part of that run.