It wasn’t supposed to be like this. While Cristiano Ronaldo has lit up the 2018 World Cup with two match-winning performances, Lionel Messi has found himself isolated from his Argentina team-mates, the supply lines to him cut off as the side crumbles into chaos around the Barcelona star. So used to answering the brilliance of his Portuguese foil with his own incomparable displays, the man from Rosario has been a shadow of his usual self, the inexplicable choices of Coach Jorge Sampaoli bringing the Albiceleste to the verge of elimination.
After a 1-1 draw with Iceland in their opening Group D clash, the pressure and weight of expectation was clearly etched on Messi’s face as he took to the field against Croatia on Thursday evening. As he lined up for kickoff in Nizhny Novgorod, the 30-year-old rubbed his face and looked seriously concerned, his fears well-placed as their opponents tore into Argentina from the first whistle.
A relentless, hard-working, diligent unit, Zlatko Dalić’s men were everything the South American side were not. The final scoreline was a completely fair reflection of the gulf between the two teams, a 3-0 rout that pushed Croatia to the top of the table and – if Iceland beat Nigeria – it could take Argentina’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages out of their control.
While the fallout back in Buenos Aires is likely to be swift, severe and perhaps even era-ending for many players, the victors should reflect on a job well done. But while Messi’s demeanour neatly reflected Argentina’s woes, there is little doubt that Mario Mandžukić was the embodiment of everything that Croatia did well.
For 92 minutes the Juventus striker pressed, harried, fought and chased. He ran constantly, closing down opponents with a feverous tenacity, setting the tone for those behind him and making himself very much the first line of defence. It was a display of complete self-sacrifice, a performance that was not only crucial to helping Croatia win, but one which underscored everything that Argentina lacked.
Mandžukić had just 42 touches of the ball, completed just 15 passes and managed to get just one of his three shots on target, notably wasting a superb chance when his diving header went narrowly past the post with the game still scoreless. But it was his work without the ball that most caught the eye, making two tackles, two clearances and two interceptions, all while never letting Argentina’s defenders and midfielders get comfortable in possession. He tracked back so much that he occasionally – as the graphic in the tweet below illustrates – looked more like the right-back.
His work rate set the tone for Croatia, Ivan Perišić and Ante Rebić joining him in closing down the opposition at breakneck speed, the latter in position to capitalise on Willy Caballero’s and open the scoring as a result. From there the physicality of Dalić’s side became even more pronounced, the desire shown over the rest of the game only serving to further crush the confidence and belief out of Argentina.
What must’ve made it worse was the fact that they relished it. Time after time, Mandžukić clattered into Nicolás Otamendi, Gabriel Mercado or Nicolás Tagliafico, the Argentina trio grow more and more frustrated while the Croatia no.17 just walked away smiling. He was happy in his work and clearly loves the battle, but it is not the first time he has helped a team hand Messi a 3-0 defeat in recent years.
Back in 2017, Barcelona visited Juventus Stadium and put on a display extremely similar to the one Croatia delivered in Russia, with Paulo Dybala stealing the headlines with a brace of wonderfully taken goals. But, just as he did against Argentina, Mandžukić delivered a measured but relentless performance, playing on the left flank and protecting Alex Sandro from being isolated one-v-one against Messi.
It was so good that when Juve took on the Catalan giants again last November, the club’s Ultras took the opportunity to recognise his effort, a giant picture of Mandžukić dominating the Curva Sud and proclaiming him as “a warrior among men.” That sentiment would undoubtedly be echoed by his compatriots after the incredible effort he put forth against Argentina, an understated but vital contribution that was – just as his impact against Barca was by Dybala 14 months ago – overshadowed by a sublime goal from Luka Modrić.
But he won’t care. “Hunger and desire for victory: this is the only way we can achieve something,” Croatia boss Dalic told reporters at his post-match press conference, traits that are found in nobody more than Mario Mandžukić. A warrior among men? Certainly, but he’s also proven to be an unshakable thorn in the side of Lionel Messi.
