Croatia First XI (4-2-3-1) - World Cup Qualifying - ShareMyTactics.com
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Out of possession, the team collapse into a conservative 4-2-3-1. The formation is set up to transition quickly into a counter attack in the event of a turnover. Mandžukić and the two nominal attacking midfielders are tasked with harrying the opposition defense to interrupt passing out of the back. In the event of a turnover, his pace and size are necessary for pushing the opposing back and giving space for the midfield to advance into. The central midfielder (Kovačić in this diagram) is highly mobile, pressing in coordination with the other two midfielders in his zone to force turnovers and cut out passing lanes. He bears responsibility, too, for making the final pass on the counter. The DM (Badelj) stays largely in place, but is joined by a central midfielder (Modrić, Rakitić and Kovačić can each fill this role well) to help cut off service to the opposing front line. The back line have traditional defensive duties, with Vida and Srna attempting to quash drives down the wings in favor of forcing play through the crowded middle.
