Shambolic Argentina fall apart as Croatia reach last 16

Croatia bounded through to the last 16, a brilliant midfield performance ravaging and devastating a clueless, broken Argentina.They must now beat Nigeria in their final match and hope that Iceland earn fewer than four points in their two remaining fixtures.

The first half was a tight affair, the teams missing a sitter each and also exchanging, er, old-fashioned challenges. But then on 53 minutes, Willy Caballero cunningly tried to play out from the back, lifting a pass out to Gabriel Mercado. The problem being that he underhit it, and underneath it, Ante Rebic was backpeddling to lash a stunning volley over his head and into the roof of the net.

In response, Jorge Sampaoli tried to shake things up, sending on Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala, but his team still had no idea what they were meant to do, so it was no especial surprise when, on 80 minutes, the wonderful Luka Modric curled home a clinching second.

And still there was more pain for Argentina, a break culminating in a third goal for Croatia - scored by Ivan Rakitic, facilitated by the phalanx of opponents not bothered to chase back.

So Argentina's continued participation in the World Cup is no longer in their own hands, and rightly so: they are equal parts debacle and a disgrace. Croatia, meanwhile, are a difficult proposition for anyone, a team with a plan, an attitude, and Luka Modric.

What is Jorge Sampaoli doing? Argentina did not play well against Iceland, but most teams do not play well against Iceland. It made very little sense for him to take out Angel di Maria and reconfigure his team's formation such that none of the players tasked with getting the ball to Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero are able to pass the ball effectively. Meanwhile, on the bench sat Ever Banega and Gonzalo Higuain, which is to say that it is impossible to extract less from these players than he is currently managing.

Luka Modric (Croatia) A maestro. He passed and moved beautifully, then scored a great clinching goal. The greatest midfielder of his generation.

Argentina: Caballero 4, Mercado 5, Otamendi 5, Tagliafico 6, Salvio 5, Perez 5, Mascherano 4, Acuna 5, Mesi 4, Meza 5, Aguero 4. Subs: Higuain 6, Dybala 5, Pavon 6.

Croatia: Subasic 6, Vrsaljko 6, Lovren 6, Vida 6, Strinic 6, Rakitic 8, Brozovic 7, Modric 9, Rebic 8, Mandzukic 6, Perisic 7. Subs: Kramaric 6, Kovacic 6, Corluka 6.

30’ - WHAT A MISS! OH DEAR DEAR ME WHAT A MISS! A pass is lifted down the left by Acuna, Vrsaljko makes a hash of it, knocking it into the middle, and so does Lovren, letting Salvio pinch it off him and feed Perez while Subasic wanders about like he's at Woodstock. But Perez, 10 yards out, passes a finish into the side-netting. Oh, mate!

32’ - OH! OH! Vrsaljko is given an aeon to lift a ball to the back post, Argentina step up because they can't be arsed defending properly, and Mandzkic is there, alone and palely loitering! But he dives to head wide! He looks totally baffled by it all, and well he might.

53’ - WHAT A GOAL! Argentina 0-1 Croatia (Rebic) Aaaarrrgggg! Caballero is dead clever, see, so he dinks a pass over Rebic and to Mercado ... except he underhits it, and Rebic adjusts magnificently, backpeddling but keeping his eye on the ball to hook a brilliant volley over him and into the net! Argentina are in all sorts! Clever Willy!

80’ -WHAT A GOAL! WHAT A PLAYER! I SAID WHAT A PLAYER! Argentina 0-2 Croatia (Modric) He is so, so good - a great in fact. He takes a pass that comes across the face of the box, goes outside Otamendi, then inside, then turns and goes outside again ... before spanking a right-footed curler that scream, hisses and pants its way past Caballero! Argentina are done!

87’ - So, free-kick Croatia, 25 yards out ... and Rakitic curls an absolute sort over the wall and against the face of the bar! Fantastic effort!

90+1’ - GOAL! Argentina 0-3 Croatia (Rakitic) Croatia break, 17 on 1, and Rakitic shoots, but Caballero pushes away ... except Kovacic in there to square for him, and he taps home! argentina have been ravaged, rustled and devastated!

This is Argentina's heaviest World Cup defeat since they lost 6-1 to Czechoslovakia in 1958.

Sergio Aguero touched the ball 0 times in the final 20 minutes of the first half.