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Croatia rating late extra-time equaliser then win penalty shoot-out to upset the favourites Brazil.
Croatia has knocked match favourites Brazil out of the World Cup, beating the five-time champions 4-2 in a penalty shootout within the quarterfinals following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.
The 2018 runners-up got here by their second consecutive shootout after beating Japan additionally on penalties within the final 16 and can now face both the Netherlands or Argentina who play one another later.
In a night full of rigidity and drama, Brazil famous person Neymar thought he had received the sport when he rifled in an extra-time purpose for the five-time world champions.
However as an alternative of defending their lead they went in the hunt for a second and have been punished when Croatia substitute Bruno Petkovic drilled in a left-footed equaliser three minutes from the top of additional time, breaking Brazilian hearts.
By way of a tense opening half on the Training Metropolis Stadium on Friday, there was nothing to separate match favourites Brazil and Croatia, with either side having fun with half possibilities in a free-flowing recreation, however nothing clear-cut.
If something, Croatia loved the perfect probability of the half, when, after 13 minutes, Ivan Perisic might solely miss-cue a whipped Mario Pasalic cross previous Alisson’s goalpost.
The Brazilians, who’ve now misplaced 4 of their final 5 World Cup quarter-finals all to European opposition, loved a significantly better begin to the second half and got here shut once more within the 66th when Lucas Paqueta was denied by Livakovic.
Claims for a hand ball by defender Josip Juranovic have been shot down following a VAR overview earlier than Neymar was despatched by by Richarlison within the fifty fifth minute solely to have his close-range effort blocked by Livakovic.
The Croatia keeper was stored busy and stopped Neymar once more within the 76th minute, and by that point had extra saves within the match (seven) than his Brazil counterpart, Alisson, had in the whole match (5).
Livakovic parried one other Paqueta shot 5 minutes later because the few hundred Brazil followers within the stands grew louder and extra impatient and the sport trickled over to further time with Brazil coach Tite visibly nervous.
After a scoreless 90 minutes Brazil took a 1-0 lead with a bit of additional time solo magic from Neymar.
He launched an assault exterior the field, performed two consecutive one-twos to bamboozle the drained Croatian defence after which rounded the keeper to equal Brazil nice Pele’s document of 77 worldwide targets as all-time main scorer.
However gritty Croatia refused to give up, and equalised when Bruno Petkovic scored within the 117th.
They then got here out on high within the shootout with Livakovic saving Rodrygo’s spot kick and Marquinos hitting the put up, leaving Neymar and his teammates in tears.
Croatia, dreaming of their first world title, will subsequent face both Argentina or the Netherlands who play later tonight.
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