Euro 2008 team profile: Croatia

Croatia profile

The Croats have a good pedigree at international level since their independence in the early nineties, and finished third in the 1998 World Cup. They have fared less well in the Euros, but a 14 year unbeaten home record is seriously impressive, and only deluded England fans would underestimate their prowess on the big stage.

As it turned out, Slaven Bilic's men had already qualified for this tournament before they won at Wembley, yet this result shifted them from dark horses to leading contenders of lifting the trophy in Austria. Leading scorer Eduardo will be a big miss, but the squad is packed with talent and if someone else fills his goalscoring boots Croatia will be a match for anyone.

EURO 2008 GROUP B:  AUSTRIA - CROATIA - GERMANY - POLAND

Main man: Niko Kovac

The elder of the Kovac brothers is now 36 but he has become more integral to the team with age. Slaven Bilic knows that the precocious talent in the squad must be balanced out by wily experience, and as captain Kovac is at the centre of attention from start to finish. He will sit in front of the back four, protecting midfield and defence where needed, and letting the flair midfielders 'express themselves' in the proper way. Hugely influential and could be the one raising the trophy on 30 June.

One to watch: Luka Modric

It requires ittle insight to state a player worth £16.5 million is one to watch, but Modric's profile is still relatively low in western Europe. This will change when he joins Tottenham after the tournament, but by then he could be a household name. The 22 year old is a creative midfielder who can use both feet, and despite his slight frame has the skills to control a game. The most gifted of several very talented Croatian midfielders.