Tottenham Hotspur star Ivan Perisic has been praised by Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti for his latest performance at the World Cup.
The 33-year-old signed for Spurs on a free transfer in the summer after his contract at Inter Milan expired (Sky Sports). The move saw Perisic reunited with his former manager Antonio Conte.
It has been a fairly productive start to life in North London for the veteran, too, who has registered seven assists for the Lilywhites in all competitions this season (Transfermarkt).
Perisic brings with him a wealth of experience at the very top level, a winning mentality, and a versatility which suits Conte’s style down to the ground. The Croatian used to play in a more attacking role, but has since successfully adapted to become an accomplished wing-back thanks to Conte.
A World Cup finalist with Croatia in 2018, Perisic is looking to add to his tally of 32 international goals in 119 caps (Transfermarkt), and will continue in the tournament in Qatar with Croatia through to the knockout stages.
Perisic played in a 0-0 draw with Belgium on Thursday, a result which was enough to see the Croatians through and dump Belgium out of the tournament.
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He will likely be disappointed not to have added to his record for the tournament, after providing two assists in the previous game against Canada.
In their assessment of the game and the players’ performances, Sportske Novosti had the following to say on Perisic, who scored a seven out of ten in their player ratings.
“Half a mark higher for an exceptional job in the defensive block. Prema was not typically penetrating at first, but he played extremely engaged in both directions. The freshness in the attack then suffers.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I thought Perisic was fantastic against Canada, but the Croatia side struggled to dominate Belgium and were perhaps fortunate not to have lost the game. Nevertheless, they go marching on and will always be a challenge for any side they come up against, especially if Perisic is in top form.
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