Zlatko Dalic: We need to guard against Messi, but not in a player-on-player style

Zlatko Dalic said the "key to our defensive phase will be discipline" when his Croatia team take on Lionel Messi and Argentina on Tuesday.

"We need to guard against Messi, but not in a player-on-player style, as we didn't [do that] in our last meeting.

"We know how much he runs, how much he likes to play with the ball at his feet and the key to our defensive phase will be discipline. If we repeat the same thing as against Brazil, which is that we are close [to him], that we stand by the player, we have nothing to fear."

"We will make a detailed analysis of [Argentina] because we have not been so focused on them so far," he said. "Messi is still their main player, who plays great and carries this national team. They also have some young, talented players and they look very dangerous.

"However, they showed they are vulnerable because they led 2-0 against the Netherlands, and in the end they barely reached penalties at 2-2. It's up to us to give our best and go into the game one hundred per cent focused."