Croatia scored, putting North Macedonia at a disadvantage and completely disrupting their tactical setup.
The North Macedonian players hadn't expected Croatia to find the net in just over 20 minutes.
A key mont in that goal was Duimović's long-range shot.
In fact, from the mont Duimović attempted that shot, North Macedonia found themselves on the back foot.
Falling behind, their entire tactical plan was thrown into disarray.
They had intended to resist Croatia with a defensive strategy, but the goal ca too soon.
With Croatia scoring in just over 20 minutes, the initiative fell entirely into their hands, making it very difficult for the already weaker North Macedonian side.
Pandev stood with his hands on his hips, watching Suker and the others celebrating.
His eyes were full of helplessness.
In the Italian league, Pandev had been performing exceptionally well and was the most well-known player in North Macedonia.
However, on the national team, he had to fight alone.
North Macedonia clearly lacked overall quality, and there was a stark contrast between Pandev and the rest of the squad.
This made the ga especially tough for him, requiring significant sacrifice.
For instance, in the first 20 minutes of this match, Pandev had to spend almost all his ti defending in his own half.
In contrast, Croatia kept launching wave after wave of attacks.
Pandev felt a bit envious of Suker.
That guy had already achieved success at the club level and was one of the most outstanding young players of this era.
On the national team, Suker also had like-minded teammates to complent him—players like Modrić, Duimović, Vukojević, and Mandžukić—each of whom could contribute aningfully to Croatia's matches.
"North Macedonia's ga is getting harder and harder!"
The North Macedonian comntator shook his head with a sigh.
Croatia topped their group in the Euro qualifiers. They knew it would be a tough match, but still underestimated Croatia's attacking power.
As Eastern European teams, both North Macedonia and others like Serbia were known for their toughness and solid defense.
But this Croatian side showed a unique character.
Their defense was solid, but their attack was even more formidable.
With Modrić, Rakitić, Mandžukić, Suker, Duimović, and even the two fullbacks, all capable of aiding the attack, North Macedonia found themselves overwheld.
"Co on, guys!"
Pandev shouted to motivate his teammates.
In truth, he wanted to yell "Let's equalize!"—but he knew how unlikely that was.
Their ironclad defensive formation required everyone to stay in their own half.
If they pushed forward for a counterattack, their backline would be exposed to great danger.
Croatia's counterattacks were no joke.
"Goal! The Croatian lads did a fantastic job!"
Croatian comntator Kraljevic exclaid enthusiastically.
From the mont Croatia scored, he knew the match was basically theirs.
On the sideline, coach Bilić was giving tactical instructions.
"Mandžukić stay up front, Suker drift more toward the center, link up with Luka!"
Then he glanced at Van stoyak, who nodded slightly. Bilić continued, "Rakitić and Duimović, you two push into the half-spaces. If Suker moves inside, you follow into those gaps. Let the fullbacks take care of the flanks!"
"Fullbacks should push up to cross, but be ready to track back imdiately!"
After a series of orders, Bilić returned to his spot.
His heart was still pounding—Duimović's goal had truly fired him up.
Back on the field, the match resud.
Now leading, Croatia no longer pushed as aggressively, instead playing more steadily.
They didn't press when North Macedonia had the ball.
As long as the ball didn't enter dangerous zones, they let the opponents pass it around in the back.
After several side passes, North Macedonia couldn't hold back and launched a long ball forward looking for Pandev.
Pandev made a fast run down the flank, but as he looked up, Šimunić was already in position and jumped to clear the ball.
Croatia regained possession.
Modrić, still in his own half, calmly controlled the ball and turned around leisurely.
North Macedonia didn't dare cross the halfway line, so Croatia's midfield had plenty of space.
Modrić began directing the team to switch the play side to side and occasionally threading passes to apply pressure.
North Macedonia was being squeezed—their formation was clumsy and overloaded.
They knew Croatia was running down the clock but had no solution.
Ti ticked on.
The first half soon ended.
In the locker room, North Macedonia's players and coaching staff had heated discussions.
They debated whether to go on the offensive or continue defending.
So believed they should counterattack and try to score.
Others were more pessimistic, thinking that attacking would only lead to more goals conceded, and that holding the current score was the best outco.
After all, the gap in strength was obvious.
Eventually, the chaotic discussion yielded no clear resolution, and they decided to stick with the first-half tactics.
On Croatia's side, Vanstoyak ticulously laid out second-half plans:
How to start, how to test the opponent's adjustnts, when to make substitutions, who to bring on, and how to react to unexpected situations.
He was more thorough than many coaching teams in Europe's top clubs, making it easier for Croatian players to understand the tactical approach.
Soon, the second half began.
Suker and the others tested North Macedonia's attitude.
But the North Macedonian players stayed tightly packed in their penalty area just like the first half.
They had no concept of pressing, relying solely on numbers to form a dense defensive net in the box.
Seeing this, Suker understood.
Alright then!
Let's run the clock.
He passed the ball back and jogged away.
Others followed suit—it was going to be a dull second half.
Yaaaawn~A Croatian fan couldn't help but yawn.
He glanced at the clock—87 minutes in.
The match was nearly over, and North Macedonia still hadn't left their half.
Croatia had attempted a few attacks, but none succeeded.
By the 75th minute, Suker and Rakitić were both substituted.
Croatia shifted focus to defending and controlling possession in midfield.
This was a clear signal: they intended to protect their lead.
From start to finish, North Macedonia showed no real attacking intentions.
They had a few counterattacks, but Croatia's defense easily dealt with them.
So far, North Macedonia had only two shot attempts, with just one on target.
Especially in the second half, as Croatia tried to stall the ga, the tempo beca dull.
That's why even Croatian fans were yawning.
"We're into stoppage ti. North Macedonia still isn't looking to counter. Looks like they've accepted this score. That ans we can—"
Bang!
Just then, Duimović unexpectedly unleashed a long-range shot.
The ball flew rapidly, bounced off the ground, and smacked the crossbar before rebounding out.
Another shot off the woodwork.
Duimović ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
On the bench, Suker rolled his eyes.
"That guy only plays hard in training!"
"In real matches, he's so inconsistent!"
The match finally ended.
When the final whistle blew, Croatia had secured a narrow 1–0 win over North Macedonia.
With this match wrapped up, the current Euro qualifying round was complete.
Next up, they'd face Estonia during the June break to close out the first cycle.
Then on June 6, they'd play Russia at ho.
Thanks to their earlier strong performances, Croatia was well ahead in the group standings.
As long as they kept things steady, qualifying wouldn't be an issue.
Croatian fans shared this confidence.
The team's performance in this Euro qualifier had been truly exciting.
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