Croatia 2 - 1 Morocco _ World Cup 2022 Highlights _ Third Place play-off

Well this magical journey ends where it started. Croatia and Morocco come together again as they did in their opening group game and back then in the searing afternoon sun 24 days ago the idea that they would or even could meet again at this World Cup was a product of wild imagination. Kocic is searching ball away by Dani. He was thrust late into the action in the semi-final stretch there for an extraordinary moment from Yacine Bono. Wow, what's this? That is very, very, very fortunate. Modric plotting it will be left for Maia and Perisic and Gradiol! The mask, the finishing touch, it is thoroughly deserved. He has something else to remember it by now. That really is beautifully clipped little free kick there. They're on side, they're all good. That header from Perisic is perfect and then Gradiol as you would expect, he launches himself, he throws himself at this one and powers that past Bono. No chance of goalkeepers getting that. That's a brilliant goal, that's a stunning goal. Well, his previous goal for Croatia came just over a year ago against Cyprus. That one will certainly live longer in the memory. Ziyech's ball in, oh and Dari is completely free! I said they usually respond, I wasn't expecting it within seconds. They might just have to dust themselves down for a bit but this is what this team have done all tournament. They have just responded, they have just bounced back every time. They've been put down on the canvas and this time it's Dari who does really well. He's got so much time to think about this, you know, he just does it right. Get it down, head it down into the ground and let the pace on the ball take care of everything from there. The goalkeeper has no chance with that. What a response. Perisic, Krameric alive to the possibilities there. Perisic will pick it up again, El Yamik's mistake. Oh, Atiatela straight to Maier. Modric works a shooting chance, oh and Bono! There the second time, and vitally so, to deny Leviat. Yeah, some scruffy defending there from Morocco. It allowed Luka Modric to get the ball who just waited for the right moment. Here's Leviat, it's a neat turn. Opportunity for Maier and now Stanisic and Maier again. An opportunity lost but Kovacic wins it back and now Leviat and now there's some promise. Orsic floats it, it is a beautiful goal. Mislav Orsic restores Croatia's lead and in some style. It just goes to show you don't have to put your head down all the time and felt the thing so hard. What you can do is control it, almost feel it, guide it into that far corner. It's exactly what happens but it's a beautiful goal, it really is. It's an outstanding goal from Orsic and in a tough spell for Croatia. You know the last 10 or 15 minutes has been difficult for them but they've got themselves back in front. It's a left of a back four for Croatia. Orsic, it's opened up for him again. Wrong side of the net from his point of view this time. What a good strike. He's taken a deflection thankfully for Bono in the goal. Just there of Elia Mik because that would have stung his hands for sure because he's hit that hard there. Croatia scoring more goals in the first half than in the previous or as many in the previous four matches combined. This is Vlasic, he's going to unleash. Why not? Don't blame him at all there Nikola Vlasic. He had nothing in front of him. There was no support mechanism there for him at all. As he saw Amrabat approaching he thought I'm going to hit it. He's still pondering that. The ball's still in play. Presents it, En-Naziri, Livkovic the hero again. This is what happened from En-Naziri. Watch, they had plenty of time. They're two players under the ball here. They're getting each other's way and just for a split second the centre forward look got eyes on the ball and the goal and the goalkeeper. Everything. Here is Petkovic. Orsic. Hakimi got back to do enough initially. This is Kovacic. Brilliant skill. There was the game. It's a brilliant run from Mateo Kovacic. It really is. This is just the one part of his game that is a natural to him. And then it comes and En-Naziri can attack it. That was exactly what he wanted all game and it came late, late, late and he couldn't make the most of it. Great cross there from Atiyah Lalla. Does brilliant. Look at his leap again. He's miles above everybody. On another day you can imagine the panic setting in for Varane and Canate in the semi-final. Croatia take the prize. Runners-up in 2018. Four years later it's third place and in an invigorating at times exhilarating match here they produce those key moments of quality in front of goal. Croatia win the third place playoff. It finishes Croatia 2, Morocco 1.