Russia v Croatia
Date: July 7 (Saturday), 19:30 IST
Venue: Sochi
How they got there Russia got off to a flier by beating Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the opening game of the tournament, and they went on to qualify in second place in Group A. They rode their luck at times against Spain, but knocked out the 2010 world champions on penalties to reach the quarter-finals.
Croatia also made it to the quarter-finals thanks to spot-kicks, which got them past Denmark in the second round. Before then Zlatko Delic’s men won Group D with maximum points. Croatia were not good against Denmark, but Dalic, the former Al Ain manager, will know his side got away with that display and they should have too much for their hosts. Croatia to win 3-0.
Previous meetings The teams have never met at a major tournament before. Croatia beat Russia 3-1 in a friendly in November 2015 with Mario Mandzukic among the scorers.
Prediction This is where the adventure ends for Russia. Given they are the lowest ranked side in the competition getting to the last eight is a huge achievement.
Well, who would have thought? While Croatia set the marker as the tournament dark-horses early on, we cannot imagine even the most die-hard Russian fan thought their team would make it to the last eight. But here they are, having sent the 2010 World Champions packing.
Spain were considered the favourites to reach the final from their half, but Russia and their defenders had other ideas. Bouncing back from the reality check that was the 3-0 defeat to Uruguay in the final group game, Russia put in a defensive masterclass to frustrate Fernando Hierro’s men. Igor Akinfeev’s feet did the rest in the penalty shootout.
What to expect:
Croatia, another team that represents the country’s golden generation, was the revelation of the group stages. Their win against Argentina was a masterclass in pressing and counterattacking, with Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic pulling the strings. But their performance against Denmark in the round of 16 left a lot to be desired, with their famed midfield struggling to impose themselves on the game.
Despite a missed penalty by Modric, the Croats sneaked past Kasper Schmeichel and the Danes, thanks to their goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, who saved three times in the shootout. Croatia will once again come up against a sturdy defensive unit in Russia and it remains to be seen if their midfield and front-line can improve from a dire performance against Denmark.