World Cup 2018: Croatia may be a nation of only 4 million people… but Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Co are starting to look like world-beaters

WITH a population of just four million but a greater proportion of Champions League winners than most, Croatia should not be cast as flash-in-the-pan giant-killers at this World Cup.

Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic were to the fore - and a fourth European champion, Mateo Kovacic, was on the bench - as Croatia swept Argentina aside with a crushing 3-0 victory in Nizhny Novgorod.

And while Argentina’s tears and Lionel Messi’s frustrations were the centre of attention on Thursday night, Croatia are beginning to look like genuine contenders in a tournament at which so many big guns are misfiring.

This was not just an effective blockade of Messi but a fine team performance. Croatia could easily have won by a greater margin still.

The Croats have now made the World Cup knock-out stage for the first time since 1998, when they reached the semi-finals and Davor Suker won the Golden Boot.

And centre-back Dejan Lovren - a Champions League finalist himself with Liverpool last month - believes this current squad is better than that which shone in France 20 years ago.

Lovren said: “When you look on the team sheet, we have better players than the previous team of 20 years ago, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't perform well.

“If we play like we did against Argentina through all the tournament, though, I believe we can go far.

“There are still many big teams. I would say we are the underdogs, and this helps us.

“I think teams and people will realise they should respect Croatia. And also I would say we have one of the toughest groups, but also we showed we can manage to play under pressure.

“After such a big result, I think Croatian people and we players should be proud.

“I think people didn't expect it, but we showed our quality from day one and it's a deserved win.”

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On the performance of his skipper Modric - the Real Madrid playmaker who effectively sealed victory with a peach of a second goal - Lovren was gushing.

Lovren revealed: “I said to him it reminded me of the goal he scored against Manchester United, for Real Madrid, it was fantastic.

“And he was again one of the best players. He has this calmness, so much experience in his career, he knows how to play these big games. It's a joy to play with him.”

Croatia coach Zlatko ‘The Exterminator’ Dalic had sent his former Blackburn striker Nikola Kalinic home in disgrace after he refused to come on as a sub in the opening 2-0 victory over Nigeria.

But such a major call seemed only to help team morale as the Croats secured their progress to the knock-out stage with one match still to play.

They now need a point against Iceland to secure top spot and a winnable last-16 clash with Denmark or Australia.

And Lovren says Croatia team ethic was key to stopping Messi and stuffing Argentina.

Lovren said: “I believed, from the beginning, that we could do it if we are really together like a defending bloc. They didn't have big opportunities.

“Of course we respected Messi because he's the greatest player in the world, but he's also stoppable. Not against one player. We defended like a team and this is how we did it.

“He didn't have many chances, and I would say it was brilliant defending.”