Moscow: Another nerve-wracking game of football comes to an end. Rakitic scores the off the final penalty to take Croatia into the quarterfinals. Denmark nearly pulled-off an upset after a brilliant save by Kasper Schmeichel off Modric’s penalty, in the extra-time. Both goalkeepers made remarkable saves in the penalty shootouts but Croatia managed to win 3-2 (on penalties) after a 1-1 draw. Croatia will meet Russia in the quarterfinals.
Follow the match updates:
Croatia 1-1 Denmark. Croatia win 3-2 on penalties.
5-Croatia. GOAL!!! Rakitic fires the winning shot. Croatia win.
5-Denmark. Saved!! Another brilliant save by Subasic off Jorgensen's penalty.
4-Croatia. Saved!!! Kasper Schmeichel saves Josip Pivaric's penalty.
4-Denmark. Saved!! Danijel Subasic saves Lasse Schone's shot.
3-Croatia. GOAL!! Luka Modric scores.
3-Denmark.GOAL!! Krohn-Dehli nets his penalty.
2-Croatia. GOAL!! Kramic scores.
2-Denmark. GOAL!! Simon Kjaer scores.
1-Croatia. Saved!! Milan Badelj's shot is saved by Kasper Schmeichel.
1-Denmark. Saved!! Danijel Subasic saves Eriksen's penalty.
Penalty shootout!!
Croatia 1-1 Denmark!
Full-time ( Extra-time)!!
1-minute additional time.
116 minute: SAVED!!! Kasper Schmeichel dives to his left to save Modric's penalty. This is the fourth time that a penalty was saved in the 2018 World Cup.
114 minute: PENALTY!!! Wonderful ball by Modric and Rebic beats the goalkeeper in a one-on-one and M. Jorgensen fouls Rebic from the back. Yellow card for Jorgensen.
113 minute: Denmark's Nicolai Jorgensen picks up a pass inside the box off a throw-in but hits the ball wide. Both teams, as it stands, are heading towards a penalty shootout.
108 minute: Substitution for Croatia. Milan Badelj replaces Mario Mandzukic.
108 minute: Denmark Pione Sisto turns inside the box cutting a Croatian player but hits the ball away from the target.
Croatia 1-1 Denmark!
Half-time ( Extra-time)!
105 minute: Corner for Croatia. Modric fires the ball in but the Denmark defender clears the ball to safety.
98 minute: Substitution for Denmark. Thomas Delaney is replaced by Michael Krohn-Dehli.
95 minute: Corner for Denmark. Eriksen whips the ball in but the Croatian goalkeeper punches the ball away for a throw-in.
Extra-time!!
Croatia 1-1 Denmark!
Full-time!!
90+3 minute: Corner for Denmark. A Danish player picks up a pass outside the box and attempts a shot from distance but hits it wide. That was close.
3 minutes of Stoppage time!
87 minute: Corner for Croatia. The defence clear the ball away but a Croatian heads it back into the hands of the goalkeeper.
82 minute: Free-kick to Croatia. Ivan Perisic heads the cross towards the goal, misses by a whisker.
80 minute: Substitution for Croatia. Josip Pivaric replaces Ivan Strinic.
78 minute: Brilliant effort Rebic as he smashes a bullet towards the Denmark goal but hits it directly into the hands of the goalkeeper.
77 minute: Croatia's Modris picks up the ball outside the box and attempts a shot from distance but fires it wide.
72 minute: Denmark's Poulsen finds a teammate inside the Croatian box with his pass but he hits it directly into the hands of the goalkeeper. That was close.
71 minute: Substitution for Croatia. Mateo Kovacic replaces Marcelo Brozovic.
66 minute: Substitution for Denmark. Nicolai Jorgensen is in for Andreas Cornelius.
64 minute: Corner for Croatia. Modric whips the ball in but the Denmark defender heads the ball away.
61 minute: Denmark's Yussuf Poulsen creates space in the Denmark box but fails to capitalise. That was close.
59 minute: Croatia's Ivan Perisic makes a cross to the right corner but Rakitic fails to get to the end of it. Goal-kick.
56 minute: Denmark's Yussuf Poulsen sprints into the Croatian box but his cross gets blocked by a Croatia defender.
48 minute: Free-kick to Croatia after Rebic goes down in a challenge.
46 minute: Substitution for Denmark. Lasse Schone in for Andreas Christensen.
They both scored with their first attacks, so clearly letting standards slip for the last 41 minutes #CRODEN pic.twitter.com/M95bvOYTtn
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 1, 2018
Croatia 1-1 Denmark!
Half-time!!
Croatia's Mario Mandzukic does not look comfortable and walks out of the pitch.
1 minute Stoppage time.
44 minute: Croatia's Rakitic goes unmarked in the box and fires a bullet towards the Danish goal but the goalkeeper saves it.
42 minute: Eriksen picks up a pass in the Croatian box but fails to find a teammate with his chip shot.
39 minute: Free-kick to Croatia on the left-flank. This could be dangerous. Modric gears up to take it. He curls the ball into the box to find Lovren but he heads it wide.
31 minute: Corner for Denmark. Christian Eriksen crosses it in the middle but the goalkeeper makes a comfortable save.
29 minute: SAVED! Perisic fires a shot from distance but hits it directly into the hands of the goalkeeper who punches it away.
23 minute: Corner for Denmark. Short pass to Eriksen, who attempts a shot from the distance but hits the ball directly to a Croatian player.
20 minute: Croatia's Mario Mandzukic goes down in the Denmark penalty box and appeals for a penalty but the Referee disregards it. That was close.
15 minute: Both Croatia and Denmark look to settle themselves in the midfield.
12 minute: Corner for Croatia. Modric whips the ball in but it gets cleared by the Danish defenders.
Croatia 1-1 Denmark!
4 minute: GOAL!!! Mandzukic fires the ball into the Danish goal. His 31st goal for Croatia. What a match this is turning out to be, 2 goals under five minutes.
Denmark 1-0 Croatia!
1 minute: GOAL!!! Mathias Jorgensen shoots the ball towards the Croatian goalkeeper who fails to stop the ball. Denmark take the lead.
Denmark have qualified for quarterfinals only once, they beat Nigeria 4-1 ( in the round of 16) in the 1998 World Cup in France.
Ok now, deep breath everyone, as we're not done yet #RUS are into the quarter-finals. Who's joining them? #CRO or #DEN?
Here are your 22 starters for #CRODEN pic.twitter.com/14GPt5kKmd
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 1, 2018
Lineups
Croatia XI: Danijel Subasic; Sime Vrsaljko, Ivan Strinic, Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida; Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Rakitic; Ivan Perisic, Luka Modric, Ante Rebic; Mario Mandzukic .
Denmark XI: Kasper Schmeichel; Henrik Dalsgaard, Simon Kjaer, Jonas Knudsen, Andreas Christensen; Mathias Jorgensen, Thomas Delaney, Christian Eriksen, Martin Braithwaite, Yussuf Poulsen; Andreas Cornelius.
Croatia have won all their Group D matches, including a 3-0 hammering of Lionel Messi's Argentina. Led by Real Madrid's midfield lynchpin Luka Modric, Croatia also defeated Nigeria and Iceland to top Group D. The pre-quarter-final will be played at the same venue where the Croats thumped Argentina. This time, Croatia have an experienced squad, a strong generation to at least match their best-ever finish of a third place which happened in 1998 World Cup.have
Denmark, meanwhile, are happy to continue flying under the radar, buoyed by a 17-match unbeaten run. They have scored just two goals in three Group C games, finishing as runners-up, but will face their sternest test yet on Sunday. They too are seeking to match their 1998 achievement when they reached the quarter-finals before being beaten by Brazil in what was their best World Cup showing.are
Croatia full squad:
Goalkeepers - Lovre Kalinic, Dominik Livakovic, Danijiel Subasic
Defenders - Duje Caleta-Car, Vedran Corluka, Tin Jedvaj, Dejan Lovren, Josip Pivaric, Ivan Strinic, Domagoj Vida, Sime Vrsaljko
Midfielders - Milan Badelj, Filip Bradaric, Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic
Forwards - Nikola Kalinic, Andrej Kramaric, Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Perisic, Marko Pjaca, Ante Rebic
Denmark full squad:
Goalkeepers - Jonas Lossl, Frederik Ronow, Kasper Schmeichel
Defenders - Andreas Christensen, Mathias Jorgensen, Simon Kjaer, Jonas Knudsen, Jens Stryger Larsen, Jannik Vestergaard
Midfielders - Thomas Delaney, Christian Eriksen, Michael Krohn-Dehli, William Kvist, Lukas Lerager, Lasse Schone
Forwards - Martin Braithwaite, Andreas Cornelius, Kasper Dolberg, Viktor Fischer, Nicolai Jorgensen, Yussuf Poulsen, Pione Sisto.
