Croatia head coach Slaven Bilić on Croatia’s 4-1 defeat to Spain:
Slaven Bilić: “Today, we did not lose against Spain.
“We lost against a Ballon d’Or contender.
“Before the game, I told Ivan Perišić, ‘Your job tonight is Lamine Yamal. Stay close to him. Don’t give him space. Don’t let him turn.’
“I trusted Ivan because he has the experience to deal with players like that.
“But even Ivan couldn’t contain him.
“We tried to change it. We paired Perišić with Kovačić at times because we wanted two players around Lamine. One would press him, the other would cover the space behind.
“And still, he found a way.
“That’s what makes this kid different.
“You can put one player on him. He beats him.
“You can put two players on him. He finds the pass.
“You try to force him outside. He changes direction.
“You try to show him inside. He attacks you there.
“And after everything we tried, he still walked away with two goals and completely changed the game.
“I’ve watched many talented players in my career, but Lamine has something that is difficult to teach.
“He doesn’t look frightened by responsibility.
“He wants the ball when the game is difficult.
“He wants to take the defender on.
“He wants to decide the match.
“And tonight, he did.
“We came into this game with a clear plan specifically for him.
“Perišić was supposed to stay close.
“Kovačić was supposed to help.
“We tried to deny him space between the lines.
“We tried to force him away from goal.
“But sometimes you have to accept that the opponent has a player capable of doing things your tactics cannot completely prevent.
“Lamine is one of those players.
“He’s a Ballon d’Or contender, without question.
“And after tonight, I honestly understand why.
We sent one experienced player to stop him. Then we sent two. In the end, Lamine still scored twice that tells you everything about the level of this player.”
[ Source @UTD_Seth001 ]