Croatia against France

Pires and Zidane link in the middle as France look for a late opening. It's blocked, and Simunic looks for Prso through the middle...

Sagnol tries to swing a big cross into the Croatian penalty area - it's charged down

...but both now seem to have recovered, and are back on their feet

Rosso crashes into Tudor as both try to clear the same ball - both are temporarily grounded

Vieira considers a shot from outside the area, but then tries to slip a pass through to Trezeguet instead. The striker can't get there

Prso chases a long ball forward, but the linesman flags. Gallas goes off for France, and Willy Sagnol will take his place

Henry comes forward on the right - his cross is comfortably charged down by Simunic

Then Barthez struggles under a strong Prso challenge, but France get away with it in the end

Looks like another change for France as we head for the last ten minutes - Dacourt is off, and Benoit Pedretti comes on in his place

It's swung in and cleared - Henry suddenly has a chance to break. Jerko Leko brings him down and is booked

At the other end, Rosso wastes a promising position, but Prso comes forward again and then Nico Kovac hits a shot which deflects for a corner...

France come forward, and Zidane, persistent and strong on the edge of the area, threatens to engineer something until being crowded out

Change for Croatia - Ivica Olic is on, and Sokota off

Pires has a chance to cross - he swings it in from the right, but Butina gets there to claim

Trezeguet picks up a clearing header to try his luck from 30-odd yards for France, but his effort is lashed over the top

...and Croatia win it back comfortably enough

So, 20 minutes to go, the game nicely poised. Barthez clears long...

Zidane fouls Kovac inside the France half - free-kick. Robert Pires comes on for France, with Arsenal team-mate Sylvain Wiltord the man he replaces

Henry's kick is cleared and then, when the France striker gets the ball back, the offside flag goes up

Henry will take it - but before he can, Bjelica comes off and Jerko Leko comes on

Sokota then has a chance to find Prso as the Croats try to hit straight back, but gets the ball wrong. Robert Kovac is booked for dissent, and France win a corner...

Croatia appealing for handball, but it seemed more ball to hand and the referee isn't interested in those appeals

...he takes full advantage to roll the ball low into the corner, and France are level at 2-2!

Rosso's fouled, round about halfway. Free-kick Croatia, but it goes nowhere and then there's a short backpass and the keeper hacks it against Trezeguet...

Henry turns sharply on the edge of the area, but Butina is right behind his low shot

Croatia are challenging superbly. Absolutely superbly. Everything has turned around here, and this is a cracking game now

...and the Croatian wall does well. The resulting corner is flighted towards Wiltord, who loses track of it and Croatia have a goal-kick

The result is a free-kick some 30 yards out. Rosso is booked, as was Dacourt a few seconds before him, and Zidane lines up the kick...

Vieira surges forward after the Croats lose possession ... this is dangerous...

Here come France ... and there goes Simunic, getting in well to clear

The kick's swung in, and Barthez takes command of the situation to punch clear strongly and well

They have the ball, but they're playing pretty deep. Zidane is robbed, and Croatia break to win a corner off Gallas...

France a little shell-shocked: this wasn't in the script

Prso crosses deep from the left - too deep, and Barthez claims

Now France have to find a response - Croatia are snapping in to every challenge with renewed ferocity

Suddenly, the game is open and alive in a way that never seemed likely in the first half

Great finish - horrible mistake by Desailly. Wiltord roars forward, and keeper Butina blocks well from Wiltord's angled swipe

Then a mistake by Desailly inside the area - Prso takes full advantage and rockets it into the roof of the net from around the penalty spot. 2-1 Croatia!

...here comes Rosso down the right. Prso finds Bjelica, who can't get a proper connection on his shot

Kovac does superbly to turn away from Vieira inside his own half, but France snap in to win it back...

The Croats still in possession, until Bjelica is penalised for a high foot

Suddenly, the Crotia fans make themselves heard, and Prso comes forward...

And Rapaic scores, hammering the ball low into the left-hand corner of Barthez' net. It's 1-1 - and who would have predicted that?

...he crashes to the floor and it's a penalty to Croatia! Rapaic will take it...

Simic plays it forward, looking for Kovac - Silvestre challenges Kovac inside the area...

...it's just too far ahead of him, otherwise the French would have been two ahead within seconds

France get the second half under way - the ball is swiftly crossed towards an unmarked Henry...

Indeed we are: 1-0 to France, who are in pretty much effortless control, at the halfway mark

Vieira steps in to break up a crisp spell of Croatian passing, and we're pretty much at the halfway point...

Kovac picks up a loose ball to swipe in a low 30-yarder. Barthez, hitherto almost a spectator, dives low and holds on to the effort

...he heads over. Shame - that would have been a ludicrous goal, in the best possible sense

They win a corner, which is outrageously brilliantly flicked on by Zidane, who backheels the ball onto the head of Gallas...

Henry and Silvestre link at speed down the French left...

But that's all it has to be - they're in charge. Croatia look to ruffle a few feathers through a Kovac pass, but the offside flag is up

France in possession, working things at their own tempo, which could currently be described as leisurely

Desailly finds Silvestre on the left, on halfway. Five minutes remaining until the break

...Olivier Dacourt is there to clear, and Vieira comes forward, only to be fouled by Tudor. The Croatia defender gets a yellow card - rather harshly - for the challenge

It's cleared and then lofted rather aimlessly back into the area. Croatia clear with no problems, and then Simic takes possession...

Trezeguet attempts a long-distance effort - it's not very good, but good enough to win his side a corner from their left...

...but with the latter in loads of space down the right, the chance is squandered thanks to a poor pass

Maybe this time - Kovac has a chance to find Prso...

It goes to Vieira, who is crowded out - but Croatia never look like creating really dangerous situations whenever they come forward

Zidane's on the move, with Henry and Wiltord running ahead of him...

Thuram leaps to head clear from a long goal-kick, but then a foul on Bjelica gives the Croats a free-kick around halfway

It's all a bit easy for France, and the feeling is that their control is sufficient for them to step up a gear as and when they may need to

Vieira challenges Kovac near halfway, gives away a free-kick for that one and is booked

Vieira, though, unsuccessfully tries a ball down the middle. Croatia then look long for Sokota, but there's no threat to France there

Here come France - Vieira switches the point of play to Thuram, and there's yet more hyper-classy possession play developing here

Rapaic tries to cross again, but this one is much more disappointing, and is easy for Barthez to deal with

Then Kovac breaks and wins a free-kick - Rapaic picks up possession to cross dangerously, and it's headed away

A Zidane cross is scrambled out as far as Vieira, and then well dealt with by Simic

Rapaic comes forward, but can't keep a ball down the left in play

It's sent towards the near post this time, but ends up in the side-netting

Another free-kick to France, similar place, same taker...

A strange goal, a la Germany's opener against Holland, but they all count etc etc etc

Zidane takes it and, although Silvestre waves a leg at the ball, it looks to have brushed off Tudor and gone straight in. It's an own goal, and France lead 1-0!

Zidane makes his way down the left this time, and is fouled close to the Croatia penalty area. Dangerous free-kick...

Wiltord then attempts to prod a pass into the area, where Nico Kovac is waiting to deal with it

Kovac denies Wiltord, and Croatia come forward. Prso crosses, but Thuram is a model of calm as he takes the ball on his chest and simply plays it out of danger

Rapaic comes forward, at the heart of some nice Croatian passing outside the France area. However, it ends in confusion as a final ball proves to be neither one thing nor the other

Throw to the Croats, midway inside the France half. Rosso does well to keep the ball in, then Bjelica spreads the play before Rosso slices his cross out for a goal-kick

Wiltord gambols forward again, but his gamboling is cut short by a linesman's flag

Sokota starts a move which gives Rosso the chance to have a go from outside the area - there's no power or threat to that effort whatsoever

It hits the wall, and is then fed through for Wiltord who, from the edge of the area, blasts wide when he could have done better

We all know what he can do from these...

France string some wonderful first-time passing together in the Crotia half, and win a dangerous free-kick for a foul on Zidane...

The Croatia striker, having an excellent game, probably should have shot - the French defenders were backing off a little

Prso finds space - he looks set to shoot, but then tries to find Rapaic, but Thuram clears

Thuram is waiting for the ball in, and clears it with ease

Another corner, and another Croatia clearance. They have the ball and move up to halfway...

...and soon Tudor's there again, putting the ball behind after a Henry cross into the area

Wiltord gets possession on the right-hand side of the Croatia area, but the cross is decidedly average and poses no problems to Tudor

There's a lovely fluidity to the French possession, but Croatia are getting some good challenges in and refuse to be over-awed

...again, Croatia defend well but, when the ball comes back, Henry controls, turns and shoots wide of the mark

France come straight back at the Croats and win a corner, which Zidane will mastermind...

Prso's looking good so far - he surges forward once again and looks to be fouled - play on, says the referee

...he tries to flip the ball to Wiltord, who was a little taken by surprise, and Croatia can clear

Then Prso is adjudged offside from an early ball forward - France stroll forward, and Gallas breaks into the Croatia penalty area...

Vieira breaks it up and finds Henry, and only good work from Tudor stops the lightning breakway

ZZ offering early proof that, after all, he's only human. Thuram adjudged to have fouled Prso, and it's a free-kick...

Zidane's delivery is - surprisingly for him - ordinary, failing to beat the first defender

France on the ball - Henry starts a move on the right which ends in the game's first corner...

Croatia get the game started, and quickly look for Sokota down the right. He battles well, but in the end it's a throw to the French

We've had the anthems, we've had the handshakes - now we get France attempting to build on the points won in that last-ditch drama against England

...and Croatia win it back comfortably enough

So, 20 minutes to go, the game nicely poised. Barthez clears long...

Zidane fouls Kovac inside the France half - free-kick. Robert Pires comes on for France, with Arsenal team-mate Sylvain Wiltord the man he replaces

Henry's kick is cleared and then, when the France striker gets the ball back, the offside flag goes up

Henry will take it - but before he can, Bjelica comes off and Jerko Leko comes on

Sokota then has a chance to find Prso as the Croats try to hit straight back, but gets the ball wrong. Robert Kovac is booked for dissent, and France win a corner...

Croatia appealing for handball, but it seemed more ball to hand and the referee isn't interested in those appeals

...he takes full advantage to roll the ball low into the corner, and France are level at 2-2!

Rosso's fouled, round about halfway. Free-kick Croatia, but it goes nowhere and then there's a short backpass and the keeper hacks it against Trezeguet...

Henry turns sharply on the edge of the area, but Butina is right behind his low shot

Croatia are challenging superbly. Absolutely superbly. Everything has turned around here, and this is a cracking game now

...and the Croatian wall does well. The resulting corner is flighted towards Wiltord, who loses track of it and Croatia have a goal-kick

The result is a free-kick some 30 yards out. Rosso is booked, as was Dacourt a few seconds before him, and Zidane lines up the kick...

Vieira surges forward after the Croats lose possession ... this is dangerous...

Here come France ... and there goes Simunic, getting in well to clear

The kick's swung in, and Barthez takes command of the situation to punch clear strongly and well

They have the ball, but they're playing pretty deep. Zidane is robbed, and Croatia break to win a corner off Gallas...

France a little shell-shocked: this wasn't in the script

Prso crosses deep from the left - too deep, and Barthez claims

Now France have to find a response - Croatia are snapping in to every challenge with renewed ferocity

Suddenly, the game is open and alive in a way that never seemed likely in the first half

Great finish - horrible mistake by Desailly. Wiltord roars forward, and keeper Butina blocks well from Wiltord's angled swipe

Then a mistake by Desailly inside the area - Prso takes full advantage and rockets it into the roof of the net from around the penalty spot. 2-1 Croatia!

...here comes Rosso down the right. Prso finds Bjelica, who can't get a proper connection on his shot

Kovac does superbly to turn away from Vieira inside his own half, but France snap in to win it back...

The Croats still in possession, until Bjelica is penalised for a high foot

Suddenly, the Crotia fans make themselves heard, and Prso comes forward...

And Rapaic scores, hammering the ball low into the left-hand corner of Barthez' net. It's 1-1 - and who would have predicted that?

...he crashes to the floor and it's a penalty to Croatia! Rapaic will take it...

Simic plays it forward, looking for Kovac - Silvestre challenges Kovac inside the area...

...it's just too far ahead of him, otherwise the French would have been two ahead within seconds

France get the second half under way - the ball is swiftly crossed towards an unmarked Henry...

Indeed we are: 1-0 to France, who are in pretty much effortless control, at the halfway mark

Vieira steps in to break up a crisp spell of Croatian passing, and we're pretty much at the halfway point...

Kovac picks up a loose ball to swipe in a low 30-yarder. Barthez, hitherto almost a spectator, dives low and holds on to the effort

...he heads over. Shame - that would have been a ludicrous goal, in the best possible sense

They win a corner, which is outrageously brilliantly flicked on by Zidane, who backheels the ball onto the head of Gallas...

Henry and Silvestre link at speed down the French left...

But that's all it has to be - they're in charge. Croatia look to ruffle a few feathers through a Kovac pass, but the offside flag is up

France in possession, working things at their own tempo, which could currently be described as leisurely

Desailly finds Silvestre on the left, on halfway. Five minutes remaining until the break

...Olivier Dacourt is there to clear, and Vieira comes forward, only to be fouled by Tudor. The Croatia defender gets a yellow card - rather harshly - for the challenge

It's cleared and then lofted rather aimlessly back into the area. Croatia clear with no problems, and then Simic takes possession...

Trezeguet attempts a long-distance effort - it's not very good, but good enough to win his side a corner from their left...

...but with the latter in loads of space down the right, the chance is squandered thanks to a poor pass

Maybe this time - Kovac has a chance to find Prso...

It goes to Vieira, who is crowded out - but Croatia never look like creating really dangerous situations whenever they come forward

Zidane's on the move, with Henry and Wiltord running ahead of him...

Thuram leaps to head clear from a long goal-kick, but then a foul on Bjelica gives the Croats a free-kick around halfway

It's all a bit easy for France, and the feeling is that their control is sufficient for them to step up a gear as and when they may need to

Vieira challenges Kovac near halfway, gives away a free-kick for that one and is booked

Vieira, though, unsuccessfully tries a ball down the middle. Croatia then look long for Sokota, but there's no threat to France there

Here come France - Vieira switches the point of play to Thuram, and there's yet more hyper-classy possession play developing here

Rapaic tries to cross again, but this one is much more disappointing, and is easy for Barthez to deal with

Then Kovac breaks and wins a free-kick - Rapaic picks up possession to cross dangerously, and it's headed away

A Zidane cross is scrambled out as far as Vieira, and then well dealt with by Simic

Rapaic comes forward, but can't keep a ball down the left in play

It's sent towards the near post this time, but ends up in the side-netting

Another free-kick to France, similar place, same taker...

A strange goal, a la Germany's opener against Holland, but they all count etc etc etc

Zidane takes it and, although Silvestre waves a leg at the ball, it looks to have brushed off Tudor and gone straight in. It's an own goal, and France lead 1-0!

Zidane makes his way down the left this time, and is fouled close to the Croatia penalty area. Dangerous free-kick...

Wiltord then attempts to prod a pass into the area, where Nico Kovac is waiting to deal with it

Kovac denies Wiltord, and Croatia come forward. Prso crosses, but Thuram is a model of calm as he takes the ball on his chest and simply plays it out of danger

Rapaic comes forward, at the heart of some nice Croatian passing outside the France area. However, it ends in confusion as a final ball proves to be neither one thing nor the other

Throw to the Croats, midway inside the France half. Rosso does well to keep the ball in, then Bjelica spreads the play before Rosso slices his cross out for a goal-kick

Wiltord gambols forward again, but his gamboling is cut short by a linesman's flag

Sokota starts a move which gives Rosso the chance to have a go from outside the area - there's no power or threat to that effort whatsoever

It hits the wall, and is then fed through for Wiltord who, from the edge of the area, blasts wide when he could have done better

We all know what he can do from these...

France string some wonderful first-time passing together in the Crotia half, and win a dangerous free-kick for a foul on Zidane...

The Croatia striker, having an excellent game, probably should have shot - the French defenders were backing off a little

Prso finds space - he looks set to shoot, but then tries to find Rapaic, but Thuram clears

Thuram is waiting for the ball in, and clears it with ease

Another corner, and another Croatia clearance. They have the ball and move up to halfway...

...and soon Tudor's there again, putting the ball behind after a Henry cross into the area

Wiltord gets possession on the right-hand side of the Croatia area, but the cross is decidedly average and poses no problems to Tudor

There's a lovely fluidity to the French possession, but Croatia are getting some good challenges in and refuse to be over-awed

...again, Croatia defend well but, when the ball comes back, Henry controls, turns and shoots wide of the mark

France come straight back at the Croats and win a corner, which Zidane will mastermind...

Prso's looking good so far - he surges forward once again and looks to be fouled - play on, says the referee

...he tries to flip the ball to Wiltord, who was a little taken by surprise, and Croatia can clear

Then Prso is adjudged offside from an early ball forward - France stroll forward, and Gallas breaks into the Croatia penalty area...

Vieira breaks it up and finds Henry, and only good work from Tudor stops the lightning breakway

ZZ offering early proof that, after all, he's only human. Thuram adjudged to have fouled Prso, and it's a free-kick...

Zidane's delivery is - surprisingly for him - ordinary, failing to beat the first defender

France on the ball - Henry starts a move on the right which ends in the game's first corner...

Croatia get the game started, and quickly look for Sokota down the right. He battles well, but in the end it's a throw to the French

We've had the anthems, we've had the handshakes - now we get France attempting to build on the points won in that last-ditch drama against England