Wales were defeated 2-0 by Croatia in this evening's Group A World Cup qualifier in Ojisek.

Goals either side of half-time from Mario Mandzukic and Eduardo gave Igor Stimac's side all three points in a game where they claimed 76% of the possession and had 29 attempts on goal.

So, was it as one-sided as the statistics suggest? Sports Mole takes a closer look at the 90 minutes.

Match statistics:

Croatia:
Shots 29
On target 20
Possession 76%
Corners 10
Fouls 9

Wales:
Shots 6
On target 3
Possession 24%
Corners 2
Fouls 8

Was the result fair?

Croatia unequivocally deserved the three points tonight. The stats paint a fair picture of the game, highlighting just how great a margin Croatia could have won by had the Welsh rearguard and goalkeeper not been on form.

Croatia's performance

Croatia were a force to be reckoned with this evening. Luka Modric ran the show in the midfield, and Eduardo and Mandzukic could have had a hat-trick each. Wales won't come up against many better sides than this.

Wales performance

The Welsh back four deserve credit for keeping the scoreline down to 2-0, but both goals were down to schoolboy errors. Lewis Price pulled off heroics throughout and Gareth Bale showed glimpses of his world-class quality, but as a team the Welsh were well beaten.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Luka Modric: The former Tottenham Hotspur man played a blinder, controlling play in the midfield and creating plenty of chances for the Croatian strikeforce.

Referee performance

Alexandru Tudor put in a solid shift. He handed out a few yellow cards to players on both sides, none of which were particularly contentious, and kept a lid on the game throughout.

What next?

Croatia: Three points today puts Stimac's side to the top of Group A for the time being, placing them in good stead to qualify as group winners. Next up for them is a home clash with Serbia.

Wales Wales now sit in fourth place in Group A, but their hopes of qualification are slim with Croatia and Belgium running away with the group. It's an away trip to Scotland for them up next.

Written by
Mark Langshaw