Ahead of this game, Croatia had dropped striker Nikica Jelavic which left Mario Mandzukic isolated up front and that seemed to underline a declaration of intent as the game went on. After a frantic opening, the match settled into a pattern whereby Croatia looked to absorb Spanish pressure while hoping to nick anything they could on the counter attack.

Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has said that Real Madrid would have won the league in the team was playing in any other league than the Spanish. Real Madrid have been on an excellent run this season, but they have been stopped on a number of occasions by Barcelona.

As a result, Real Madrid currently have only three-point advantage over second placed Barcelona. Real Madrid manager José Mourinho reckons that it would take a superhuman effort to catch Real Madrid if the club was playing in a different League – Spanish or Italian, for example.

It seems that the balance of power is finally shifting in Spain. It did not seem to be realistic when Real Madrid were leading Barcelona by a slender three points, but after the weekend Real Madrid have extended their lead to a massive six points, which will prove extremely crucial as the season progresses.