Paris (AFP) – Croatia coach Ante Cacic hailed Luka Modric’s “magical” goal after the Real Madrid playmaker’s strike secured a 1-0 win over Turkey in his side’s Euro 2016 opener on Sunday.
Modric was voted man of the match after settling the Group D opener in Paris with a sweetly struck 41st-minute volley from outside the box that flashed past Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Babacan.
“Luka really deserves to be talked about, especially after this match,” Cacic told a press conference at Parc des Princes.
“It was one of his best matches in Croatia’s history. He was really playing well. He was really our leader.
“He scored a magical goal and at the end it was the only goal. We need Luka in this form. All the team looks better and more aggressive when he plays like that.”
Croatia, who twice hit the bar through Darijo Srna and Ivan Perisic, play the Czech Republic in their next game on Friday when Turkey face defending champions Spain.
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