EURO 2016 TEAM PREVIEW: GROUP D - CROATIA

Tip: Last 16

Cult hero: Darijo Srna seems intent on racking up 150 caps for Croatia before he hangs up his flying boots. The legend, nicknamed Robocop by Slaven Bilic, is not only a stone cold dude for his national team but also Shakhtar Donetsk where the fans adore his all-action displays down the right flank.

Star player: Luka Modric often seems like he is playing a different game to everyone else, much like his current club boss Zinedine Zidane used to do. It’s worth noting he struggled initially at Spurs before he made them tick, his Real Madrid move resulting in two Champions League victories. His partnership with La Liga rival Ivan Rakitic is essential to Croatia going deep this summer.

Player to watch: In a side chock full of stylish playmakers, Ivan Perisic has the ability to slice through opponents and give coach Ante Cacic a direct, different option. His stylish performances at the 2014 World Cup and for Wolfsburg earned him a move to Inter Milan where he has enjoyed a decent first season, his six crucial goals in qualifying three better than anyone else in Group H.

How they qualified: They started off like a train in their Group H bid, however they got turned over in Norway to leave their hopes in the balance. They needed a favour from group winners Italy in the last round of games, their win over Norway and Croatia’s Malta win sealing the coveted second spot.

Line-up prediction: Subasic, Srna, Corluka, Schildenfeld, Vida, Brozovic, Rakitic, Modric, Kovacic, Perisic, Mandzukic