24 March 2016
In the first of this week’s international encounters involving members of Massimiliano Allegri’s squad, Mario Mandzukic played the full 90 minutes of Croatia’s comfortable 2-0 win over Israel in Wednesday evening’s friendly at Gradski Vrt.
The hosts took just four minutes to break the deadlock, when Ivan Perisic swept home Marcelo Brozovic’s cross. Half an hour later, Croatia doubled their lead when Nikola Kalinic played in Mandzukic down the left and the Juventus forward struck the post, but Brozovic was at hand to tap in from close range.
Tonight sees six more Bianconeri involved in international action, as an Italy side counting Gigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci, Simone Zaza and Daniele Rugani among its squad members take on Alvaro Morata’s Spain in Udine. Meanwhile, Juan Cuadrado’s Colombia have a crucial 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Bolivia in La Paz.
