Pressure off Croatia as they face Morocco

Croatia have won five matches and lost once in 16 months, but the 2018 runners-up, led by midfield conjuror Luka Modric, will begin their World Cup campaign against Morocco on Wednesday with little fanfare and few predicting glory.

So unfancied are Zlatko Dalic's side, who went all the way before succumbing to France in the final four years ago, that bookmakers are offering 50-1 against them lifting the trophy this time.

Modric, the player of the tournament in 2018, has one last shot at glory at the age of 37, and will line up against Morocco probably part of an impressive midfield trio alongside Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea.

They will kick off their Group F campaign at Al Bayt Stadium against a Morocco side whose build-up was overshadowed amid controversy over their coach after they sacked Vahid Halilhodzic in August following a dispute about player selection and replaced him with Walid Regragui.