Croatian national team leader Luka Modric, due to a minor injury, was forced to watch the decisive Group D match against the Spanish team from the sidelines.
However, the savvy defender, familiar with many opponents, still managed to contribute significantly to the 2:1 victory.
In the 72nd minute, a controversial penalty kick was awarded to the Croatian team, and Vicente del Bosque's players could have turned the tide at that time (1:1).
However, Modric, standing beside the pitch, signaled to Srna on which side Ramos, his teammate from the Madrid "Real" team, would attempt his shot. Soon the instructions reached goalkeeper Subasic's ear and he managed to repel the shot. Ramos paid no attention to Sergio Busquets' warning, who carefully observed the Croatian actions.
Emotionally uplifted Croatians later scored the decisive goal and won 2:1.
"Modric signaled to him to aim to the right side. He knows me - after all, we train together every day in the "Real" team. Subasic waited a long time, but at the last moment, I changed my mind. I hope this mistake will not be crucial for us - it's better not to score in the group stage than in the knockout rounds," Ramos said.
