Garcia was also full of praise for his side’s tactical discipline and organisation throughout the encounter. While Tielemans had given the visitors a first-half lead, Garcia noted that the structure of the team allowed them to withstand pressure from a Croatia side still led by the evergreen Luka Modric.
“We played well against Croatia,” Garcia said. “The water break allowed us to make three tactical changes that improved our performance. We faced some difficulties at times, but we managed to keep a clean sheet. The players defended as a team and didn’t give the opposition any clear-cut chances, apart from the shot that hit the crossbar.”