Croatia beat Japan on penalties to reach quarters

3 years ago 41

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By Shamoon HafezBBC Sport at Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah

Last updated on 4 minutes ago.From the section World Cup

Breaking news

Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was the hero, saving three penalties in the shootout, as Croatia edged past Japan after a 1-1 draw to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

Livakovic kept out the first two efforts before stopping Maya Yoshida's kick, then Mario Pasalic converted the vital effort to take his side through.

Zlatko Dalic's side, beaten in the final by France four years ago, will face tournament favourites Brazil or South Korea in the next round on Friday (15:00 GMT).

Japan were the livelier side and took a deserved lead two minutes before half-time when Celtic forward Daizen Maeda converted from Yoshida's knock down.

Croatia levelled in the second half courtesy of Ivan Perisic's brilliant bullet header from Dejan Lovren's cross, becoming his country's all-time leading scorer at major tournaments with 10 goals.

Neither side could find a breakthrough and the game ticked into the additional 30 minutes, with Brighton midfielder Kaoru Mitoma's spectacular strike pushed over by Livakovic.

At the other end, Marko Livaja's flicked header looked to be looping in, but Shuichi Gonda managed to gather and Lovro Majer dragged a shot in the 120th minute.

The contest went to nerve-shredding penalties, where Livakovic emerged as the man to lead Croatia's celebrations.

More to follow.

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Japan

Squad number12Player nameGonda
Squad number16Player nameTomiyasu
Squad number22Player nameYoshida
Squad number3Player nameTaniguchi
Squad number14Player nameIto
Squad number6Player nameEndo
Squad number13Player nameMorita
Squad number5Player nameNagatomo
Squad number8Player nameDoan
Squad number25Player nameMaeda
Squad number15Player nameKamada

Squad number9Player nameMitoma
Squad number10Player nameMinamino
Squad number17Player nameTanaka
Squad number18Player nameAsano
Squad number19Player nameH Sakai

Croatia

Squad number1Player nameLivakovic
Squad number22Player nameJuranovic
Squad number6Player nameLovren
Squad number20Player nameGvardiol
Squad number3Player nameBarisic
Squad number10Player nameModric
Squad number11Player nameBrozovic
Squad number8Player nameKovacic
Squad number9Player nameKramaric
Squad number16Player namePetkovic
Squad number4Player namePerisic

Squad number7Player nameMajer
Squad number13Player nameVlasic
Squad number14Player nameLivaja
Squad number15Player namePasalic
Squad number17Player nameBudimir
Squad number18Player nameOrsic

Line-ups

Japan

Formation 3-4-3

12Gonda
16Tomiyasu
22Yoshida
3Taniguchi
14Ito
6Endo
13MoritaSubstituted forTanakaat 105'minutes
5NagatomoSubstituted forMitomaat 64'minutes
8DoanSubstituted forMinaminoat 87'minutes
25MaedaSubstituted forAsanoat 64'minutes
15KamadaSubstituted forH Sakaiat 75'minutes

Substitutes

1Kawashima
2Yamane
7Shibasaki
9Mitoma
10Minamino
17Tanaka
18Asano
19H Sakai
20Machino
21Ueda
23Schmidt
24Soma
26Ito

Croatia

Formation 4-3-3

1Livakovic
22Juranovic
6Lovren
20Gvardiol
3BarisicBooked at 116mins
10ModricSubstituted forMajerat 99'minutes
11Brozovic
8KovacicBooked at 90minsSubstituted forVlasicat 99'minutes
9KramaricSubstituted forPasalicat 68'minutes
16PetkovicSubstituted forBudimirat 62'minutesSubstituted forLivajaat 105'minutes
4PerisicSubstituted forOrsicat 105'minutes

Substitutes

5Erlic
7Majer
12Grbic
13Vlasic
14Livaja
15Pasalic
17Budimir
18Orsic
21Vida
23Ivusic
24Sutalo
25Sucic
26Jakic

Referee:Ismail Elfath

Attendance:42,523

Live Text

Match ends, Japan 1(1), Croatia 1(3).
Penalty Shootout ends, Japan 1(1), Croatia 1(3).
Goal! Japan 1(1), Croatia 1(3). Mario Pasalic (Croatia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty saved! Maya Yoshida (Japan) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Penalty missed! Still Japan 1(1), Croatia 1(2). Marko Livaja (Croatia) hits the left post with a right footed shot.
Goal! Japan 1(1), Croatia 1(2). Takuma Asano (Japan) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Goal! Japan 1, Croatia 1(2). Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Penalty saved! Kaoru Mitoma (Japan) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Goal! Japan 1, Croatia 1(1). Nikola Vlasic (Croatia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty saved! Takumi Minamino (Japan) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the centre of the goal.
Penalty Shootout begins Japan 1, Croatia 1.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Japan 1, Croatia 1.
Attempt missed. Lovro Majer (Croatia) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mislav Orsic.
Attempt blocked. Mislav Orsic (Croatia) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Marcelo Brozovic.
Borna Barisic (Croatia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Borna Barisic (Croatia).
Junya Ito (Japan) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt saved. Marko Livaja (Croatia) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Josip Juranovic.
Corner, Croatia. Conceded by Junya Ito.
Lovro Majer (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.