Poles apart: Croatia rest nine but Bilic still has the midas touch

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Whatever Slaven Bilic touches continues to turn to gold.

Last night the Croatia coach could afford to rest nine first-choice players and still ease past a Polish side who betrayed their own outside chance of qualification.

Ivan Klasnic of Croatia scores the opening goal against Poland

Perhaps it is time to take Croatia, England's slayers on that grim November night, seriously.

They coped comfortably with the huge change Bilic implemented and their coach said: 'We are very proud because we played this match at such a high level and scored a third victory here. We didn't just play well-we played superbly.'

Croatian player Danijel Pranjic (R) celebrates the opening goal by Ivan Klasnic

Only Artur Boruc, the Celtic goalkeeper, showed the resolve to stop the slick Croats, who move on from Group B with a 100 per cent record. He denied Ivan Klasnic and Ivan Rakitic before being beaten after 52 minutes.

The outstanding Danijel Pranjic was the goal's creator, cutting a left-wing pass back to Klasnic who beat Boruc with a first-time finish.

Klasnic, the first kidney transplant recipient to play in a European Championship, was understandably delighted.

Poland could have snatched a late equaliser through Tomasz Zahorski but coach Leo Beenhakker was correct when he said: 'We weren't good enough.' Group B winners Croatia now face Turkey, Group A runners-up, in the quarter finals on Friday.