Čačić: "Full throttle", Modrić: "Victory is key"

Croatia head coach Ante Čačić is cautious when talking about Kosovo encounter in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying on Saturday in Zagreb. Last October, Croatia won 6:0 in Shkoder.

"We won convincingly, but Kosovo created more chances than all of our opponents in other matches. It will be a tough match since Kosovo gathered the pace, and these new teams usually play better in away matches. They will be fighting, quick in attack, and we have to be fully focused in order to avoid what happened at Iceland. I consider this match a knock-out game, there will be no second chances. With full respect to Kosovo, we'll try to be at our top level", said Čačić. 

"Croatia will go full throttle. We have the quality on our side, but we are aware of everything Kosovo can do well on the field of play. We cannot believe that this will be an easy match, as some say. In the end, some matches can be won easily, yet there is a lot of preparation and effort behind that", he added.

Croatia captain Luka Modrić agrees, expecting a difficult match at Maksimir.

"We will have to put in a top performance to achieve a positive result and win. Kosovo is a tough opponent, with good technical ability and fast players. They can create problems to anyone who does not perform at his maximum. We have to be careful, do our best, and leave for Turkey in a positive mood. Defeat at Iceland shook us up, yet we will try to turn things around in the upcoming matches. We feel no pressure, but we feel responsibility and we will show what these matches mean to us", he said.

"There are four matches remaining, and we will try to win each and every one, step by step. The most important thing is to reach the World Cup, and let us not deceive ourselves and expect a similar outcome against Kosovo as it was in Shkoder. The key is to win and gain confidence. I play for Croatia for over ten years, I give my all for this jersey, and I will continue to do so. Croatia success is all that matters", concluded Modrić.

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