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Croatia national football team
World Cup | Semi-Finals
Jul 11, 2018 at 7pm UK
 
England national football team

2-1

Perisic (68'), Mandzukic (109')
FT
(aet)

Mario Mandzukic: 'Semi-final against England is 50-50'

Mario Mandzukic: 'England tie is 50-50'
© Reuters
Mario Mandzukic believes that Croatia have the perfect blend of experience and youth, which he hopes is enough to help his side past England.

Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic has admitted that Wednesday evening's World Cup semi-final against England is too tough to call.

Both teams have exceeded expectations by making it to the last four in Russia and are now just one match away from the showpiece final.

England are competing at this stage for only the third time in their history, and a first in 28 years, while Croatia's best finish was in 1998 when coming third.

Mandzukic believes that his side's current crop of players have a nice blend of experience and youth, but is unsure whether it will be enough to get them past the Three Lions in Moscow.

"Croatia, maybe, have several more experienced players but we also have great young players. That is what makes us good," he told reporters.

"I would say the chances in the game are 50/50 because everyone deserves to be the in semi-final. There is no fear from our side, we respect everybody; however, we believe in ourselves."

England have won four, lost two and drawn one of the eight previous meetings between the two sides.

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Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

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Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

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Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

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Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

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Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
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Group F

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Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

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Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

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Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


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