FIFA World Cup 2022 Semi final: Argentina is not just about Lionel Messi – Croatian striker Bruno Petkovic

Ahead of the much-awaited first semi final of the FIFA World Cup 2022 between Croatia and Argentina, Croatian striker Bruno Petkovic said his team’s tactics will revolve around taking down Argentina as a team and not just Lionel Messi. Petkovic says Argentina isn’t just about Lionel Messi as they already have a strong team; adding Croatia’s dressing room thought is never to have a plan for a specific player, be it anyone. Petkovic further said Croatia is not thinking about man-marking Messi as well.

"We don't have a specific plan yet for stopping Messi and usually we don't concentrate on stopping one player but the entire team," striker Bruno Petkovic said on Sunday in a news conference. "We will try to stop them as a team and not with man-marking. Argentina are not only Messi, they have a number of great players. We have to stop the entire Argentina team," he said.

Croatia is playing the FIFA World Cup semi final for the successive time, having reached the summit clash last time in Russia – where they lost to France 2-4. In their quest to achieve this feat, Bruno Petkovic believes the team has to come up with their best performance on the given day.

Meanwhile, against Brazil in the first quarterfinal clash, it was Petkovic only who scored the equaliser in the 117th minute that forced the match to enter penalty shootouts.

"I am becoming more and more aware of the magnitude of this goal with each passing day," Petkovic said. "Maybe I'll experience something similar in the semi-final or beyond."

Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who made three stunning saves against Japan in the previous match, saved the first penalty against Brazil as well. With Marquinhos missing his shot later, Brazil lost the match on penalties by 2-4, and got knocked out of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Meanwhile, Croatia will take on Argentina in the first semi final on Tuesday at Lusail Stadium.