Croatia captain Luka Modric rejected suggestions that the Blazers strolled to a 2-0 win over Nigeria in their Group D Russia 2018 World Cup opener in Kaliningrad on Saturday.
The Real Madrid star insisted they worked off their socks to seal victory over the Super Eagles.
“It was not an easy win for us because we played a good side,” the former Tottenham midfielder, who scored Croatia’s second goal told reporters after the encounter.
“It was a difficult match for us but we started creating chances after we scored the first goal.
“We practiced a lot of set-pieces in our training and we are happy that our goals came from there.
“The win has boosted our confidence and we hope to pick up a point against Argentina.”
He added, “It was very important that we won the first match in the World Cup and it’s a perfect moment for us.”