FIFA 2018 World Cup: 3 reasons why Croatia beat Denmark

#2 Targeting Christensen to push Denmark on the back foot

Christensen was like a fish out of water in the defensive midfield role

Denmark have some really quality centre-backs in Simon Kjaer and Matthias Jorgensen that manager Are Hariede loves to play in his favoured back-four. But then, Andreas Christensen is too talented to be left on the substitutes' bench and Hariede opted to play him in the holding midfield role. This was a bold move, though his experiment backfired significantly in the first-half.

The Chelsea starlet lacked the mobility to match Croatia's teriffic midfield triumvirate of Modric, Rakitic and Brozovic. Since he was higher up the field than usual, Christensen was directly up against more attackers, more pressing and clearly wilted under the pressure. This allowed the Blazers to push the Danes on the back foot and prevent them from regaining the lead.

The signs were ominous when he accidentally headed a clearance into the path of Mandzukic for the equaliser, and was put out of his misery at the interval when Hariede subbed him off for a more boisterous and direct Losse Schone.