Turkey 0-1 Croatia: Luka Modric strike wins it for Croatia

A brilliant strike from Luka Modric sealed a 1-0 win for Croatia in their opening Euro 2016 fixture against Turkey in Paris on Sunday.

Ante Cacic's men had plenty of attacking chances throughout the game, but it was a late first-half strike from the Real Madrid man that saw Croatia take the three points. 

The victors twice hit the woodwork in the second half, while a header from Ozan Turfan in the opening period was the pick of the chances for the Turks. 

Both teams are next in action on Friday, where Croatia will face the Czech Republic in Saint-Etienne while Turkey must prepare to play current European Champions Spain in Nice. 

The game started with great pace and Croatia went close inside three minutes as Darijo Srna whipped in a ball from the right for Ivan Rakitic, but it just ran too long.

The Croatia captain was once again involved as he played a ball from the same flank that was headed towards goal by Mandzukic but Hakan Balta was there to clear, before a great cross form Ivan Perisic was also met by the head of Marcelo Brozovic, but he skewed it wide.

It was on the half-hour mark when Turkey had their best chance of the game as Arda Turan crossed from the right, with Tufan rising above Domagoj Vida but his header was scrambled off the line by Danijel Subasic.

But Croatia went ahead 11 minutes later and it was a brilliant hit from Modric who latched onto the end of a Selcuk Inan clearance to fire the ball over the defence and past an unsuspecting Volkan Babacan.

Srna could twice have added to Croatia's tally inside the opening ten minutes of the second half. He firstly rattled the crossbar with a free-kick before volleying just wide after Babacan's clearance from Perisic fell into his path.

It was then the turn of Brozovic to test the Turkey defence, as he volleyed just over the bar before a Perisic cross just evaded his outstretched foot at the back post in the 67th minute, with the ball eventually running wide.

The woodwork again came to the aid of Turkey as Croatia kept firing, this time a right-flank cross from Mandzukic finding the head of Perisic, but he could only direct it onto the crossbar.

Subasic was mostly a spectator during the second half, but did make strong saves when called upon - especially from a fine free kick from Caner Erkin - before Babacan came off his line to close down Perisic not long after. 

Croatia made the most of their changes in the final five minutes to see out the game, and take a deserved three points from the Parc des Princes.

Team line-ups

Turkey: Babacan, Gonul, Topal, Balta, Erkin, Tufan, Selcuk Inan, Ozyakup, Calhanoglu, Arda Turan, Tosun.

Subs: Mor, Sen, Yilmaz.

Croatia: Subasic, Srna, Corluka, Vida, Strinic, Modric, Badelj, Brozovic, Rakitic, Perisic, Mandzukic.

Subs: Schildenfeld, Kramaric, Pjaca.

Man of the match: Luka Modric.