Modrić Leads Croatia to Last-Minute Victory; Ecuador and Italy Shine in Friendlies
Luka Modrić is 38 now, but nights like this show why Croatia still lean on him when it matters. At the compact, noisy Stadion Anđelko Herjavec in Varaždin, the captain’s touch of class set the tone for a 2-1 win over Slovenia that arrived with almost the last kick of the game.
This was no stroll. It rarely is for Croatia.
They controlled long spells, moved the ball with their familiar patience, and then let Modrić decide when to twist the knife. The breakthrough came from him, of course: a measured strike from the edge of the box, guided rather than blasted, opening the scoring and calming any early nerves in a side sharpening up for their World Cup opener against England on 17 June.
The goal felt like a rehearsal of old routines. Modrić drifting into space, the ball rolled into his path, one quick glance, and then that clean, unhurried finish. Slovenia’s back line had been warned; they still couldn’t stop it.
Croatia looked in control, but the game refused to die. As the minutes ticked away, Slovenia grew bolder. The equaliser arrived in the 83rd minute, when Andraž Šporar finally punished a lapse at the back, levelling the match and briefly silencing the home crowd. For a side with Croatia’s ambitions, it was a sharp reminder: switch off, and you suffer.
The response was ruthless.
Deep into stoppage time, with the clock showing 93 minutes, Mario Pašalić stepped up as the late hero. Croatia pushed one last time, worked the opening, and Pašalić delivered the winner to restore the lead and the noise. A friendly on paper, but the reaction – from players and stands alike – told its own story. This was about rhythm, belief, and a habit of finding a way.
England await in mid-June. On this evidence, Croatia will arrive with their old heartbeat still strong and their taste for drama intact.
Ecuador Find Their Edge
On another continent, Ecuador sent out a statement of their own. A 3-0 win over Guatemala did more than pad confidence; it underlined the growing authority of a side that looks increasingly sure of itself ahead of a World Cup opener against Ivory Coast on 15 June.
They were sharper, quicker, and more ruthless in both boxes. Guatemala struggled to live with the tempo, and Ecuador never really let them breathe.
Pervis Estupiñan stood out. The full-back roamed up and down his flank, constantly involved, driving the team forward. His night reached a high point with a stunning third goal, the sort that sticks in the memory. Spotting the goalkeeper off his line from distance, Estupiñan didn’t hesitate. One bold, arcing lift of the ball, and the game was finished in style.
Friendlies can be flat. This one wasn’t for Ecuador. It felt like a team gathering speed.
Italy’s Experimental Side Gets the Job Done
For Italy, it was less about fireworks and more about control. In an “experimental” lineup under coach Baldini, they edged Greece 1-0 to close out a tidy run of friendlies, having already scraped past Luxembourg by the same narrow margin.
The performance won’t dominate highlight reels, but it will please the staff. Structure, discipline, and another clean sheet: the basics, nailed.
Davide Bartesaghi will remember it fondly. Handed another start, he played the full 90 minutes and handled the responsibility with composure. For a player trying to cement his place, these are the nights that matter – steady, reliable, quietly convincing.
Italy leave this friendly stretch without fireworks but without alarms either. Croatia lean on Modrić’s magic, Ecuador ride Estupiñan’s surge, and Baldini’s Italy trust in their shape. The stage is set; now the real questions will be asked when the World Cup kicks off.
