Croatia might have taken the lead very early at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, but aside from that spell at the beginning of the match where they completely forgot how to defend, Turkey weren't giving them an easy time of things - until they went and did it again. For a time, the hosts were making their numerical advantage in the midfield count, dominating possession despite the presence of Tottenham Hotspur star Luka Modric in Croatia's ranks and had limited their visitors to chances mostly on the counterattack.
Turkey Vs. Croatia Live, Euro 2012 Qualifying Playoffs: Mario Mandzukic Makes It 2
Then Gokhan Gonul, the man mostly responsible for the opener, got involved again and things went horribly wrong. What should have been an easy clearance instead popped straight up into the air and fell to Modric in space, and despite a heroic block by Sabri Sarioglu the little midfielder recovered possession, passed wide and the ball was crossed in for Mario Mandzukic to nod past Volkan Demirel. 2-0 in Turkey? That’s probably goodnight, unless there’s a very quick response from the hosts.
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