Croatia look to defend perfect record against Latvia
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
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Croatia will look to end their Group F campaign on a high note and maintain their 100% record against a Latvia side who have won two of their four away games in the section.
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Croatia will look to end their UEFA EURO 2012 Group F campaign on a high note against a Latvia side who have won two of their four away games in the section.
• Croatia beat Latvia 3-0 in Riga in the sides' opening Group F game on 3 September. Mladen Petrić set the visitors on their way two minutes before the break, a lead which was doubled in the early stages of the second half by the head of Ivica Olić. Captain Darijo Srna confirmed Latvia's first defeat in five competitive home games with a third late on.
• Croatia's record in three matches against Latvia reads W3 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home).
• Latvia coach Aleksandrs Starkovs was second in command to Englishman Gary Johnson when the sides first met in Osijek for a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 24 March 2001. A first-half Boško Balaban hat-trick set Croatia on their way to a 4-1 win.
• Balaban scored again in the return encounter in Riga on 6 June the same year as Mirko Jozić's men won 1-0, with Starkovs in sole command for only the second contest of his first spell as Latvia boss.
