A team full of attacking flair players forced to defend by a manager with eight months in the job. Enter Croatia.

Niko Kovac and his assistant and brother Robert will lead Croatia into Brazil with the hopes of a nation who have a very high bar for them to reach.

The Croats will emulate their managers playing style.

Kovac won 83 caps for Croatia and as a midfielder was known for his hard-work,  leadership and never-say-die attitude, something which he has brought with him into management and instilled into his side.

They qualified for Brazil 2014 through the play-offs after finishing second in their qualifying group to Belgium.

And after a goalless draw in the first-leg against Iceland, Bayern Munich’s Mario Mandzukic and captain Dario Srna scored the goals to take them through to the finals.

But they will have to defend from the off as they face Brazil in the tournament opener, a repeat of their first game in the 2006 tournament in Germany where Kaka scored the only goal in a 1-0 defeat.

Kovac captained the team that day and will want revenge, this time from the dugout.

He has the players capable of doing it. 

Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic and Mandzukic are at the top of their game and head to Brazil on the back of terrific league campaigns.

Add the young and talented Mateo Kovacic of Inter Milan and the energy of Wolfburg duo Ivan Perisic and Ivica Olic and they have enough to worry not just Brazil but the other 30 nations.

In goal they have “The Octopus” Stipe Pletikosa who has ammassed 109 caps.

Thirty-two-year-old Srna has two more than him and Kovac will be hoping that the experience he brings, along with 28-year-old Vedran Corluka, will be enough to stop the flair of Brazil on June 12.

A repeat of their third-placed finish in France 98 is a long shot considering they have Mexico and Cameroon in their group.

If they do manage to finish second in the group behind favourites Brazil, they will face the winner of group B which contains holders Spain, finalists Netherlands and Chile. 

But this is the World Cup and as Kovac said: “If you’re having fun, you’ve got a great chance of success.”