FIFA World Cup 2018: Croatia vs Denmark - As it happened

Croatia will meet hosts Russia in the quarterfinals at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, on July 7.

Pic courtesy: IANS

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.