The chase for the 2016 European Cup will take its next step on Friday. Two teams attempting to qualify for the tournament will do battle in a match between Croatia and Italy. The contest scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET will be held at the Stadion Paljud in Split and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on ESPN Deportes.
What They're Saying
Croatia head coach Niko Kovac (via UEFA): "I talked to Luka [Modric] and he is not ready to play, even not ready for full training. I think we accomplished our mission against Gibraltar, I think people enjoyed and I am mostly satisfied. Mario Mandžukić put some good effort for himself and for the team and he eventually scored, so I think it will give him some confidence he needs ahead of the Italy match."
Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio (via Football Italia): "If you look at the table, we're below them. They're a complete side which has improved a lot in recent years. They have very experienced players, as they're showing in these qualifiers. It will be a very tough game. The fact it's behind closed doors will help us out. Although it's never nice, a full stadium stirs more emotions."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Marchisio enjoyed great success with Juventus this campaign. In 35 league appearances, the 29-year-old finished with six assists and an average of 1.4 key passes.
Croatia's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Subasic; Vrsaljko, Vida, Corluka, Srna; Badelj, Rakitic; Olic, Kovacic, Perisic; Mandzukic
Italy's Projected Lineup (3-5-2): Buffon; Ranocchia, Bonucci, Astori; Darmian, Verratti, Rossi, Marchisio, Candreva; Immobile, Gabbiadini
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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