Paris: Real Madrid's Luka Modric was poised to do battle with Barcelona's Arda Turan on Sunday as the teams for the Turkey-Croatia clash at Euro 2016 carried a strong Spanish accent.
Modric, a two-time Champions League winner with Madrid, was joined in Croatia's midfield by Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic, whose club-mate Turan is the captain of Turkey.
Modric was aligned beside Fiorentina's Milan Badelj in a deep-lying midfield role, with Rakitic and Inter Milan duo Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic supporting Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic.
Turan was expected to start on the left of a front three for Turkey alongside Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun and Bayer Leverkusen set-piece specialist Hakan Calhanoglu.
Eighteen-year-old Denmark-born Turkey starlet Emre Mor, who joined Borussia Dortmund earlier this week, was included among the substitutes.
Croatia and Turkey are joined in Group D by the Czech Republic and defending champions Spain.
Starting line-ups in the Euro 2016 Group D match between Turkey and Croatia at Parc des Princes in Paris on Sunday (1300 GMT kick-off):
Turkey (4-3-3)
Volkan Babacan; Gokhan Gonul, Mehmet Topal, Hakan Balta, Caner Erkin; Ozan Tufan, Selcuk Inan, Oguzhan Ozyakup; Hakan Calhanoglu, Cenk Tosun, Arda Turan (capt)
Coach: Fatih Terim (TUR)
Croatia (4-2-3-1)
Danijel Subasic; Darijo Srna (captain), Vedran Corluka, Domagoj Vida, Ivan Strinic; Milan Badelj, Luka Modric; Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic; Mario Mandzukic
Coach: Ante Cacic (CRO)
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (SWE)
AFP
