DOHA: Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday to leave Qatar on a high after the European side failed to reach a second consecutive final. Mislav Orsic s late first-half strike was enough to settle the contest after two early goals inside the first nine minutes set the tone for a pulsating encounter, Achraf Dari cancelling out Josko Gvardiol s opener for Croatia. A bronze medal may have served as nothing more than consolation after both sides endured disappointment in the semi-finals, but Croatia and Morocco looked eager to make amends after losing to Argentina and France respectively. Moroccan fans have turned up in massive numbers to support their team in Qatar and Saturday was no different as they jeered the Croatian players whenever they had possession, their whistles echoing inside the packed Khalifa International Stadium. That did not deter Croatia, however, who started the game on the front foot and took the lead in the seventh minute through a cleverly worked set-piece.