DOHA – Croatia will not attempt to stop Argentina superstar Lionel Messi by man-marking him but instead will focus on immobilising the entire team in their World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, they said.

The Croats are bidding to make it to the final for the second World Cup in a row after losing in the 2018 showcase match to France.

They stunned tournament favourites Brazil in the quarter-finals after going a goal down in extra time, but dug deep to bounce back with a late equaliser and force a penalty shoot-out that they ended up winning 4-2.

“We don’t have a specific plan yet for stopping Messi and usually we don’t focus on stopping one player but the entire team,” striker Bruno Petkovic told a news conference on Sunday.

“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.

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has scored four goals at Qatar 2022.

He has been the driving force for the Argentinians, who also needed penalties to progress 4-3 against the Dutch in a shoot-out after squandering a two-goal lead in their quarter-final.

With a full squad following the return of Croatia defender Borna Sosa, Zlatko Dalic’s team are brimming with confidence and ready for more.

Their midfield comprising captain Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic will be key to dictating the pace, as they did against Brazil, and defender Josip Juranovic said the trio were utterly dependable.

“Mateo, Luka and Marcelo are the best Croatia midfield in history. I don’t think it can be repeated. When you pass them the ball, it is safer than having your money in the bank,” the defender said.

Super-sub Petkovic scored the 117th-minute equaliser against Brazil to force penalties, with Croatia having now won all four of their World Cup shoot-outs.

“I think many people who are not professional footballers can take successful penalties,” he said.

“The difference is how mentally tough you are. There is huge pressure you have never experienced before.

“I think one of the reasons (for this mentality), is that we are a small country. Even though as players we are young, we know how our country was made and gained independence in the 1990s.

“We learnt about this from our parents. We learnt you fight, you work hard and you don’t get anywhere without that.”

Some of the older players in the team have strong connections to the conflict in the Balkans in the 1990s.

Modric, 37, was displaced as a youngster and defender Dejan Lovren, 33, was forced out of his childhood home.

On the shoot-out, Petkovic added: “But it also helps when you have a world class ‘keeper.”

Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved one spot kick against Brazil after also saving three in their last-16 shoot-out against Japan.

But it was Petkovic’s dramatic equaliser after Brazil’s extra-time lead that carried them to the shoot-out.

“For me, the goal gives me huge confidence. In the extra-time periods we still believed and we supported each other. The confidence is not only at a personal level, we believe in one another.”

“I am becoming more and more aware of the magnitude of this goal with each passing day,” Petkovic added.

“Maybe I’ll experience something similar in the semi-final or beyond... I think we have improved with each game, as the opponents got stronger, we got better and better.” REUTERS, AFP