Croatia get to training ahead off Argentina semi-final clash
Ivan Perisic reveals he’s not spoken to close friends Cristian Romero or Lautaro Martinez ahead of their semi-final meeting… as his Croatia team-mates put in the hard work to prepare for Argentina clash
- Ivan Perisic says he’s not spoken to his Argentinian friends in recent days
- Croatia will face off with the Copa America champions in Tuesday’s semi-final
- The European side took to training on Monday afternoon ahead of the clash
Croatia’s Ivan Perisic revealed he’s not been in contact with his close Argentinian friends ahead of their crucial World Cup semi-final clash.
Zlatko Dalic’s side have been preparing for their clash with the reigning Copa America champions on Tuesday night – which has a place in this year’s World Cup final on the line.
Tottenham full-back Perisic has been an integral role to their campaign and is looking to block out all possible distractions ahead of the crucial fixture.
Ivan Perisic has revealed he’s not spoken to Argentinian friends ahead of the clash
Perisic will face Cristian Romero (middle) and Lautaro Martinez (R) on Tuesday night
According to Football Italia, Perisic said: ‘In the group stage we were in touch, but after reaching the semi-finals, we haven’t been in touch,’ he said.
‘But I do know that Lautaro [Martinez] and Cuti [Romero] live for their country and can’t wait to play for Argentina.
‘There were a few problems when we played in London and Milan, but they must be really looking forward to playing for their country and in that sense we are similar.
‘They will be at 100% of their performance, just as we are. We expect a good and solid match. Hopefully, the crowd will enjoy it.’
Perisic currently plays with Romero at Tottenham and spent a number of seasons playing with forward Martinez at Inter Milan.
Croatia got their preparations for the semi-final clash underway on Monday night as they trained under the lights in Doha.
Croatia took to the training pitch in Doha on Monday night ahead of the crucial clash
Luka Modric looks on as he gets preparations underway for the clash with Argentina
Defender Josko Gvardiol (R) has been one of the standout players throughout the World Cup
Croatia can ensure they reach back-to-back World Cup finals with a win over Argentina, having been beaten 4-2 in the final by France in the previous tournament.
Zlatko Dalic’s side were seen out in training on Monday night ahead of their game against the Copa America champions.
There were no major concerns for the European outfit with key players such as Luka Modric, Josko Gvardiol and Ivan Perisic all present for the team.
They booked their place in the final four of the competition after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Brazil last week.
Dominik Livakovic played a crucial role in Croatia’s win over Brazil in the previous round
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