Mario Mandzukic is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian club Juventus and the Croatia national team. Besides being a prolific goalscorer, he is known for his great defensive contribution and aerial power.
In addition to his goalscoring, pundits have noted Mandzukic for his physical strength, versatility, mobility and fitness, as well as his ability in the air. He was even given the nickname Dilkos by Miroslav Blazevic, which means brash and unsophisticated, referring to the striker's physical strengths, powerful physique and seemingly endless stamina, rather than his technical ability. Known for his high work-rate and defensive contribution, Mandzukic's former manager at Wolfsburg, Felix Magath, noted his endurance, stating that the striker is 'so fit that I think he could play two back-to-back games without stopping even for a minute.'
Mandzukic scored his first Bundesliga goal for Wolfsburg on Matchday 26 2011 against FC Nurnberg. In the last seven matches of the domestic season, he scored eight goals, two of which came in the last match against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, and were crucial for the club as they avoided relegation. In his second season in Wolfsburg, he became a regular starter in the Bundesliga and was the club's top goalscorer with 12 goals. In his two years at Wolfsburg, he scored 20 times in 56 appearances, establishing himself as one of Wolfsburg's best players during his stay and quickly becoming a fan favourite due to his goalscoring ability and attitude.
He finished his first Bundesliga season with Bayern as the club's top goalscorer, netting a total of 15 goals in 24 matches and having a major impact in winning the Bundesliga title. On 25 May 2013, Bayern faced Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final and Mandzukic scored the first goal of the match, giving Bayern a 1-0 lead in 60th minute. With this goal, Mandzukic became the first Croat to score in a Champions League final game and it capped a highly successful first season for him in Munich, as the club completed a treble-winning season, claiming the Bundesliga, Champions League, and DFB-Pokal, as well as the German Supercup at the start of the campaign.
In 2013-14 season, He won the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup with Bayern after the final with Raja Casablanca, ended with a 2-0 victory. In the match against Hannover 96, Mandzukic celebrated his 100th Bundesliga appearance by meeting Rafinha's cross to complete the goal.
After joining Atletico Madrid, Mandzukic helped Atletico move within two points of joint-league leaders Barcelona and Sevilla on 26 October when he tapped in Arda Turan's cross to score the solitary goal in a win over Getafe. he bagged 14 goals in all competitions before the winter break - including a sensational hat trick against Olympiacos in the return group stage game at the Calderon on 26 November 2014, which ensured a place in the Champions League knockout stage. In total, Mandzukic bagged 20 goals in 43 appearances in his only season in Madrid, living up to his image of hard-working and proven goal scorer.
On 25 November 2015, Mandzukic scored the winning goal for Juventus in a 1-0 home win over Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League group stage, to secure the club a spot in the round of 16. Due to these significant goals, as well as another one in a 3-0 away win against Palermo on 29 November, he was voted Juventus player of the month for November 2015. |
