Kovač: "Everything went according to plan"

On Monday, Croatia recorded one of the most convincing wins in its qualifying history, beating Azerbaijan in Osijek 6:0 and claiming the top spot in Group H ahead of November clash with Italy.

"Congratulations to the players, but to the fans as well, for their continuous support. I am satisfied, but we have played only three matches and nothing has yet been achieved. Azerbaijan is a tricky opponent, but we put pressure on them from the first until the last minute. We had two strikers in the first team and we have found enough room for our wingers. Everything went according to plan, just as we have agreed before the match", said Croatia head coach Niko Kovač.

One of the key moments was Andrej Kramarić's goal in 11th minute.

"The first goal opens up the entire match. The crowd rallies behind us, we gain more confidence and we easily continue to attack. This was all the result of the unity within the team, on and off the pitch. Our approach to the match was fantastic, we had to be aggressive against Azerbaijan", Kovač said.

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