NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia — The thousands faces painted white and blue looking dejected immediately after the final whistle summed up this match in Moscow’s Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. Argentina, a team loaded with talent and highlighted by Lionel Messi, entered the World Cup with both high hopes and deep-seated worries about the chemistry of its squad.

After two games — including a disappointing 3-0 loss to Croatia on Thursday — the Argentines find themselves facing long odds to even escape Group D. Croatia, with its own talented attack featuring Luka Modric, Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Rakitic, showed exactly what it is capable of doing in a patient and disciplined dismantling of Argentina.

It was a mind-boggling error from Argentina goalkeeper Willy Caballero — a 36-year-old called upon to start for Argentina only after Sergio Romero suffered a knee injury — that opened up the scoring for Croatia. Argentina appeared to be mounting a response, but Modric provided a dagger in the 80th minute with a brilliant curling shot from the top of the box, and Rakitic finished it off with a third goal in stoppage time.

Also Thursday:

France 1, Peru 0: YEKATERINBURG, Russia — France, stocked with goal-scoring talent, looked like a sports car struggling to shift into higher gears. French coach Didier Deschamps shuffled his lineup yet again. But he left his teenage striker, Kylian Mbappé in place, and it was Mbappé who scored the lone French goal in the 34th minute.

Paul Pogba provided the initial spark and found Giroud, whose shot was deflected and sent soaring over goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. It landed directly in the path of Mbappé, who turned the ball into the net.

Denmark 1, Australia 1: SAMARA, Russia — Denmark and Australia played a draw that kept Denmark on course to qualify and left Australia far short of that.

Denmark opened the scoring seven minutes in when Christian Eriksen drove home a volley set up by Nicolai Jorgensen.

Australia equalized in the 38th through a penalty. Mile Jedinak converted the penalty for Australia, and the score was tied.

With four points, Denmark is in good position to qualify from Group C. Australia must beat Peru in its last game, and even that may not be enough.