The World Cup 2022 is getting tougher and we are at the Q-F of the tournament. Croatia will be taking on Brazil at the Education City Stadium in Qatar.
Brazil hopes will be high as they look to lift the trophy for the sixth world record. The Samba boys sent out a statement to the rest of the tournament when they breezed past South Korea in the last 16, while the Checkered Ones were pushed all the way by Japan before edging through on penalties.
For the second successive World Cup and for the third time in their history, Croatia will be competing in the quarter-finals on the biggest international stage after beating Japan 3-1 on penalties in the last 16 on Monday. After Ivan Perisic cancelled out a first-half strike from Daizen Maeda, the two nations were forced into extra time and then penalties, but the Checkered Ones prevailed in the shootout with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saving three of Japan’s four spot kicks to help Zlatko Dalic’s side book their place in the last eight. Croatia are no strangers to drama at the highest level of international football, as they have been taken to extra time in seven of their last eight knockout matches at major tournaments since finishing third at their first World Cup finals back in 1998. Four of Croatia’s last five knockout matches at the World Cup have gone to extra time and three of which have seen the Checkered Ones triumph on penalties – a 4-2 defeat to France in the 2018 final is the only time during this run that a knockout game involving Croatia was decided in 90 minutes.
Dalic and co are unbeaten in their last 10 internationals and have lost only one of their last 20 games across all competitions since Euro 2020, but this impressive run is set to be tested by a high-flying Brazil outfit who head into Friday’s contest off the back of their best performance at this year’s tournament in Qatar against South Korea.
Things To Know Ahead Of The Match:
1. Brazil have never lost in four previous meetings with Croatia in all competitions (W3 D1), with this their first meeting since a 2-0 friendly win in June 2018.
2. Croatia have lost four of their five World Cup games against South American sides, with the exception being a 3-0 win over Argentina in 2018. Two of those four defeats have been against Brazil – 1-0 in 2006 and 3-1 in 2014 (both group stages).
3. Since beating Germany 2-0 in the final in 2002, Brazil have lost each of their last five World Cup knockout stage games against European nations, including three quarter-final ties in that run (France in 2006, Netherlands in 2010 and Belgium in 2018).
4. In a run going back to EURO 2008, seven of Croatia’s last eight knockout stage games at major tournaments (World Cup and Euro) have gone to extra time, with the exception being the 2018 World Cup final. They’ve progressed from all four such games at the World Cup, three via penalty shootout.
5. Brazil are looking to reach the World Cup semi-final for the ninth time, with only Germany (12) doing so more often. Meanwhile, Croatia have reached at least the last four of the competition on both previous occasions they’ve made it out of the group stages (1998 and 2018).
Who goes through to the Semi Final?
