Mario Mandzukic hat trick helps Croatia rout Kosovo

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:55 am

Kosovo's first competitive home fixture ended in a one-sided 6-0 defeat by Croatia that leaves them bottom of their World Cup qualifying group.

A hat trick from Mario Mandzukic and further goals from Matej Mitrovic, Ivan Perisic and Nikola Kalinic secured a convincing victory for the visitors, who with four points from two games top Group I.

Kosovo, who sit sixth, have one point earned from their first-ever competitive match, last month's 1-1 draw at Finland.

Juventus' Mandzukic put Croatia in front in the sixth minute with a left-footed, close-range finish from Andrej Kramaric's through-ball.

Mario Mandzukic scored all three of his goals in the first half.
Mario Mandzukic scored all three of his goals in the first half.
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In the 24th minute he doubled their lead when meeting Perisic's delivery at the edge of the six-yard box, before completing his hat-trick with a 35th-minute header from Sime Vrsaljko's cross.

Mitrovic's goal came in the 68th minute, when he produced a right-footed finish from Marcelo Brozovic's cross.

It was Brozovic who provided Perisic's goal when his 83rd-minute through-ball allowed him to shoot from inside the area.

Substitute Kalinic added their sixth in the second minute of second-half stoppage time with a powerful finish from the edge of the area.