EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Stadion Maksimir - Zagreb Tuesday 9 September 2014 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Croatia Group H - Matchday -12 Malta Last updated 12/07/2021 16:45CET Official Partners of UEFA EURO 2020 Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Squad list 4 Head coach 6 Match officials 7 Competition facts 8 Match-by-match lineups 9 Team facts 11 Legend 13 1 Croatia - Malta Tuesday 9 September 2014 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Previous meetings Head to Head UEFA EURO 2012 Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached M. Mifsud 38; 02/09/2011 QR (GS) Malta - Croatia 1-3 Ta' Qali Vukojević 11, Badelj 32, Lovren 68 Kranjčar 18, 42, 17/11/2010 QR (GS) Croatia - Malta 3-0 Zagreb Kalinić 81 FIFA World Cup Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached Wellmen 74; Kranjčar 07/09/2005 QR (GS) Malta - Croatia 1-1 Ta' Qali 19 30/03/2005 QR (GS) Croatia - Malta 3-0 Zagreb Pršo 24, 35, Tudor 80 UEFA EURO 2000 Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached Stanić 34, Soldo 55; 21/08/1999 PR (GS) Croatia - Malta 2-1 Zagreb Carabott 60 Suda 29; Šimić 54, 10/10/1998 PR (GS) Malta - Croatia 1-4 Ta' Qali Vugrinec 68, 74, Šuker 81 Final Qualifying Total tournament Home Away Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA EURO Croatia 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 - - - - 4 4 0 0 12 3 Malta 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 - - - - 4 0 0 4 3 12 FIFA* Croatia 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 - - - - 2 1 1 0 4 1 Malta 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 - - - - 2 0 1 1 1 4 Friendlies Croatia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Malta - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Total Croatia 3 3 0 0 3 2 1 0 - - - - 6 5 1 0 16 4 Malta 3 0 1 2 3 0 0 3 - - - - 6 0 1 5 4 16 * FIFA World Cup/FIFA Confederations Cup 2 Croatia - Malta Tuesday 9 September 2014 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Match background Croatia should be on steady ground as they welcome Malta for a fourth time in their opening UEFA EURO 2016 Group H qualifier. Match background • Croatia's record in six senior internationals against Malta is W5 D1 L0 (W3 D0 L0 in Croatia – W2 D1 L0 in Malta). They have scored three goals in their last two games against Malta, both wins. • The sides first met in UEFA EURO 2000 qualifying, Miroslav Blažević's Croatia beating Josif Ilić's Malta 4-1 in Ta'Qali on 10 October 1998. Hubert Suda (29) gave Malta a half-time lead but goals from Dario Šimić (54), Davor Vugrinec (68, 74) and Davor Šuker (81) ensured there would be no surprise. The return fixture in Zagreb on 21 August 1999 ended 2-1, Mario Stanić (34) and Zvonimir Soldo (55) on target before David Carabott (60) pulled one back. • Zlatko Kranjčar's Croatia then beat Malta 3-0 at home in FIFA World Cup qualifying on 30 March 2005, Dado Pršo (19, 34) and Igor Tudor (80) with the goals. Horst Heese's Malta sprung a surprise in the return fixture on 7 September that year; after Niko Kranjčar's 19th-minute opener, Stephen Wellman equalised with a second-half free-kick, Mario Tokić's late dismissal further sullying Croatia's evening. • The sides' most recent encounters came in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying; Slaven Bilić's Croatia beat John Buttigieg's Malta 3-0 in Zagreb on 17 November 2010 (Kranjčar 18, 42, Nikola Kalinić 81). They won 3-1 in Ta'Qali on 2 September 2011, Ognjen Vukojević (11), Milan Badelj (32) and Dejan Lovren (68) on target either side of Michael Mifsud's 38th-minute strike for the home side. • In addition, Croatia have taken on Malta in eight youth and age-group games at international level in UEFA competition: all eight ended in Croatian victories, with no goals conceded. • Sides from these nations have met in 16 UEFA competition games, with the Croatian clubs' record reading W13 D2 L1 (W7 D1 L0 at home – W6 D1 L1 in Malta). That lone defeat was NK Slaven Koprivnica's 2-1 loss at Hibernians FC in a 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup first round game; Slaven won the return fixture 3-0. 3 Croatia - Malta Tuesday 9 September 2014 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Squad list Croatia Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Danijel Subašić 27/10/1984 29 Monaco - 0 0 0 0 7 - - Lovre Kalinić 03/04/1990 24 Hajduk Split - 0 0 0 0 - - - Ivan Vargić 15/03/1987 27 Rijeka - 0 0 0 0 - - Defenders Shakhtar - Darijo Srna 01/05/1982 32 - 0 0 0 0 116 21 Donetsk Lokomotiv - Vedran Ćorluka 05/02/1986 28 - 0 0 0 0 75 4 Moskva - Ivan Strinić 17/07/1987 27 Dnipro - 0 0 0 0 33 - - Dejan Lovren 05/07/1989 25 Liverpool - 0 0 0 0 28 2 - Domagoj Vida 29/04/1989 25 Dynamo Kyiv - 0 0 0 0 24 1 - Šime Vrsaljko 10/01/1992 22 Sassuolo - 0 0 0 0 9 - - Hrvoje Milić 10/05/1989 25 Rostov - 0 0 0 0 4 - Midfielders - Danijel Pranjić 02/12/1981 32 Panathinaikos - 0 0 0 0 51 - - Luka Modrić 09/09/1985 28 Real Madrid - 0 0 0 0 78 8 - Ivan Rakitić 10/03/1988 26 Barcelona - 0 0 0 0 64 9 - Mateo Kovačić 06/05/1994 20 Internazionale - 0 0 0 0 14 - Dinamo - Marcelo Brozović 16/11/1992 21 - 0 0 0 0 3 - Zagreb - Mario Pašalić 09/02/1995 19 Elche - 0 0 0 0 1 - - Alen Halilović 18/06/1996 18 Barcelona - 0 0 0 0 4 - Forwards - Ivica Olić 14/09/1979 34 Wolfsburg - 0 0 0 0 95 19 - Nikica Jelavić 27/08/1985 29 Hull - 0 0 0 0 35 6 - Mario Mandžukić 21/05/1986 28 Atlético - 0 0 0 0 52 17 - Andrej Kramarić 19/06/1991 23 Rijeka - 0 0 0 0 1 - Dinamo - Duje Čop 01/02/1990 24 - 0 0 0 0 1 - Zagreb Dinamo - Marko Pjaca 06/05/1995 19 - 0 0 0 0 1 - Zagreb Coach - Niko Kovač 15/10/1971 42 - 0 0 0 0 9 - 4 Croatia - Malta Tuesday 9 September 2014 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Malta Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Justin Haber 09/06/1981 33 Birkirkara - 0 0 0 0 51 - - Andrew Hogg 02/03/1985 29 Kalloni - 0 0 0 0 35 - - Nicky Vella 27/08/1989 25 Valletta - 0 0 0 0 - - Defenders - Jonathan Caruana 24/07/1986 28 Valletta - 0 0 0 0 32 2 - Steve Bezzina 05/01/1987 27 Balzan - 0 0 0 0 4 - - Ryan Camilleri 22/05/1988 26 Valletta - 0 0 0 0 14 - - André Agius 12/08/1986 28 Hibernians - 0 0 0 0 43 1 - Steve Borg 15/05/1988 26 Valletta - 0 0 0 0 10 - - Ryan Scicluna 30/07/1993 21 Birkirkara - 0 0 0 0 1 - Midfielders - Paul Fenech 20/12/1986 27 Birkirkara - 0 0 0 0 21 - - Clayton Failla 08/01/1986 28 Hibernians - 0 0 0 0 35 1 - Ryan Fenech 20/04/1986 28 Valletta - 0 0 0 0 39 1 - Rowen Muscat 05/06/1991 23 Dunaújváros - 0 0 0 0 10 - - Bjorn Kristensen 05/04/1993 21 Hibernians - 0 0 0 0 3 - - Zach Muscat 22/08/1993 21 Birkirkara - 0 0 0 0 1 - Forwards - Michael Mifsud 17/04/1981 33 Sliema - 0 0 0 0 105 39 - Andrew Cohen 13/05/1981 33 Hibernians - 0 0 0 0 59 1 FSV - André Schembri 27/05/1986 28 - 0 0 0 0 58 3 Frankfurt - Edward Herrera 14/11/1986 27 Birkirkara - 0 0 0 0 17 1 Spartak - Jean Paul Farrugia 21/03/1992 22 - 0 0 0 0 - - Trnava - Stephen Pisani 07/08/1992 22 Floriana - 0 0 0 0 - - Coach - Pietro Ghedin 21/11/1952 61 - 0 0 0 0 42 - 5 Croatia - Malta Tuesday 9 September 2014 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Head coach Niko Kovač Date of birth: 15 October 1971 Nationality: Croatian Playing career: FC Hertha 03 Berlin-Zehlendorf, Hertha BSC Berlin, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, FC Bayern München, FC Salzburg Coaching career: Croatia Under-21, Croatia • Born in Berlin to parents hailing from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kovač began his career at local side Hertha Zehlendorf before earning a move to second-tier Hertha Berlin in 1991. A defensive midfielder, he then joined Leverkusen, playing alongside younger brother Robert for the first time. • Signed for Hamburg in 1999 but was reunited with Robert when the pair were snapped up by Bayern two years later. Won a league and cup double in 2002/03 yet struggled to tie down a starting spot and returned to Hertha in 2003, subsequently ending his playing days with Salzburg. • Collected his first Croatia cap in 1996 and featured in 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying, only for injury to rule him out of the finals. He was ever-present, though, at the 2002 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2004.