CROATIA         3

Perisic 62; Modric 76 pen.

Brekalo 90

MALTA            0

CROATIA

D. Livakovic, J. Juranovic, D. Vida, D. Caleta-Car, D. Melnjak (57 B. Barisic), M. Kovacic, M. Badelj (53 L. Modric), M. Pasalic (J. Brekalo), N. Vlasic, M. Orsic (78 K. Lovric) , A. Budimir (53 I. Perisic).

MALTA

H. Bonello, R. Camenzuli, S. Borg (66 Z. Muscat), E. Pepe, K. Shaw, J. Mbong (66 J. Corbalan), B. Kristensen (81 L. Gambin), M. Guillaumier, S. Pisani (63 J. Grech), T. Teuma, A. Satariano (46 K. Nwoko).

Referee Lionel Tschudi (Switzerland).

Yellow cards Vida, Vlasic.

Croatia needed goals from their star players Ivan Perisic, Luka Modric and Josip Brekalo to overcome a plucky Malta side in a World Cup qualifier in Rijeka last night.

It was a difficult night from the national team who, despite putting on a disciplined display, were let down by some controversial decisions from referee Lionel Tschudi who surely swayed the match in the hosts favour.

In fact for much of the first half, Malta did well to contain the Croatians who struggled to create any serious danger to the Maltese defence.

Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta