With two goals in the first half, Croatia had taken complete control.
At that moment, bars across Croatia were packed with fans who couldn't travel to Switzerland, celebrating wildly.
They raised their glasses, shouting and cheering—joy flooded the entire country.
Having witnessed the golden generation led by Davor Šuker, the fans now believed a new, even more glorious era had arrived.
Of course, this was only the beginning. But they were confident that this new generation of players would deliver thrilling matches and bring even more glory to Croatia.
"Suker! Suker! Suker!"
In the stands at St. Jakob-Park, supporters like Boteči were overjoyed.
A few older fans stood shoulder to shoulder, waving Croatian flags and cheering their hearts out toward the pitch.
Kredivači was especially loud, cheering again and again.
"See! I told you! I told you they'd create miracles! Look at that performance—it's incredible! Hahahaha!"
Kredivači's joy perfectly captured the mood of Croatian fans.
The stadium was vibrating with the roaring voices of Croatian supporters.
Meanwhile, Polish fans looked devastated.
In just 30 minutes, they had conceded two goals and were forced to make a defensive substitution, wasting a precious change.
From that moment on, any hope of a comeback or a win seemed impossibly far away.
The only relief came when Croatia slightly eased their attacking tempo after the second goal, allowing Poland to catch their breath.
But knowing they would enter the second half trailing by two goals gave little comfort.
Eventually, the first half came to an end.
Croatia led Poland 2–0.
And by that point, most people watching knew Poland had pretty much lost.
Vienna, Austria
Inside a hotel along the Danube River, the Italian national team players were watching the match.
"Poland's done for," Ambrosini shook his head. "Facing Suker and they don't defend properly, the midfield can't keep up with Modrić—how are they going to counterattack?"
Chiellini added, "Croatia's cohesion is excellent, and they play so aggressively. Honestly, Suker feels even more threatening than he does at club level!"
As soon as he said that, Ambrosini, Pirlo, Gattuso, and others turned to look at Chiellini.
What's that supposed to mean? We're dragging him down?
Chiellini quickly waved his hands: "I'm just stating facts!"
Inzaghi said, "He's not wrong. Against Croatia's high press, we wouldn't be able to get the ball out. Who could even keep up physically?"
Everyone fell a little quiet.
Croatia's strength came from their so-called "kidney warrior" qualities—every single player could run.
The distance covered by each player was insane.
Some even had near-limitless stamina.
In that kind of system, Suker thrived. His performance was amplified.
Most players adjust better to their club teams and underperform at the national level.
But Suker was the opposite—he was even fiercer for the national team.
Italian head coach Roberto Donadoni turned and asked, "If we face Croatia, how do we limit Suker?"
At that, Pirlo and the others fell silent.
Donadoni asked again: "What is it?"
Gattuso sighed: "There's no such thing as limiting Suker—unless you stick three men on him at all times. But if we do that, we give up control of the game."
In truth, the bigger issue was that Italy's overall level had declined.
After the damage to Serie A and the failure to develop a new generation, the team lacked depth.
Croatia had wave after wave of young, fearless players.
In contrast, Italy had an aging squad with very few players in their prime.
Yes, they won the last World Cup—but that was two years ago.
Now, using the same core in the Euros two years later… how far could they really go?
No one said this out loud, but deep down, everyone knew it.
Back on the field, the second half started quickly.
Croatia made no changes at halftime.
They already held the lead and controlled the game. There was no need to rush.
In fact, assistant coach Van Stoyac even wanted to extend the lead.
As soon as the second half began, Croatia resumed their intense pressing—constantly sprinting, harassing Poland's half of the field.
Fortunately for Poland, they had reinforced their defense. It was still shaky, but at least they could withstand some of Croatia's pressure.
But the problem was their counterattack.
Their ground-based counterattacks were completely blocked—Croatia's players cut off every passing lane.
High balls were shut down by Šimunić, Croatia's tall center-back.
Vukojević kept roaming and made life hell for Poland's forwards.
Time ticked away, and Poland's counterattacks produced nothing.
Then, in the 75th minute, Croatia moved the ball to the left flank.
Suker had the ball out wide. He faked a cross, then cut sharply inside.
He dribbled laterally across the top of the penalty box.
Poland's defenders hesitated—unsure whether to press or hold.
Just as two defenders finally committed, Suker gently flicked the ball over them.
Rakitić made a sudden run, met the ball, and swept it across the goal.
Mandžukić dove in ahead of the defenders and slid it into the net.
Croatia scored again.
3–0.
At that moment, Polish fans closed their eyes in pain.
They knew defeat was certain.
Croatian fans, meanwhile, were in full celebration mode.
One side rejoices, the other despairs—the brutal reality of the Euros.
After the third goal, Croatia finally made substitutions.
Suker and Rakitić came off.
Pranjić and Ćorluka came on.
Croatia now aimed to stabilize and strengthen their defense.
When Suker left the pitch, the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation.
Rakitić, walking beside him, couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
Even though they both came off, he knew most of the applause and cheers were for Suker.
Suker had scored two goals—clearly the man of the match.
He had delivered yet another brilliant performance for the national team.
"Well done!"
Coach Bilić hugged both Suker and Rakitić excitedly.
It was his first match managing at a European Championship, and the Croatian team had fully lived up to expectations.
They had dominated—not just in score, but in every phase of the game.
Poland barely even managed a counterattack, let alone any dangerous shots on goal.
Even after Suker came off, the match didn't change much.
It seemed the Polish coach had accepted defeat.
Now, they could only hope to advance by winning the next two games.
Final score after 90 minutes: Croatia 3–0 Poland.
Croatia claimed victory in the first round of the group stage.
But they couldn't relax just yet.
After this win came the second group match—and it wouldn't be easy.
It was the main event of Group B:
"The German war machine vs. the Eastern European knights!"
"My first long shot was just a test. I'm really glad Suker was in the right place to score that first goal. It made me very happy."
That's what Dujmović told the media in a composed, professional tone.
But once he got back into the tunnel, he poked Suker's head and snapped:
"You lucky bastard! Goal thief!"
Suker turned around: "Then you score it next time!"
Dujmović grumbled: "After my first shot, the Polish defenders were all over me. I couldn't get another one off."
"And that damn keeper kept staring at me!"
Suker shrugged: "Then shake him off!"
Dujmović's face turned as black as a burnt pot.
He was a tank-type player.
Great straight-line speed and explosive power, but terrible agility.
He was famous for the so-called "century spin"—turning slower than a ship. Breaking free of a defender? Not happening.
Dujmović belonged to the "power shot, hope for chaos" school of football.
Delicate technical plays? Not his thing.
That's why he focused on long-range shots.
Even though Suker and others always teased him about his poor shooting...
In truth, his long-range shots were quite dangerous.
Out of ten, seven or eight would land on target. The angles weren't sharp, but the sheer power often forced keepers to spill the ball.
And that gave strikers like Suker the chance to pounce.
A perfect setup man—whether he meant to or not.