Moscow: Scoring a last-minute goal, already-qualified Croatia snatched all hope from Iceland to make it to the round of 16 in their last Group D clash at Rostov Arena Stadium on Wednesday. Struggling to make their mark, Iceland had a good spell towards the end of the first half of the match.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Follow the match updates:


Fulltime! Croatia 2-1 Iceland, Argentina 2-1 Nigeria


90+5 minute: Croatia top Group C, beating Iceland 2-1


90+2 minute: Rakitic takes a shot but it goes wide off


4 minutes of stoppage time!


90 minute: Goal! Croatia hits the bar taking the goal count to 2


87 minute: Meanwhile, Marcos Rojo scores for Argentina. Argentina 2-1 Nigeria


86 minute: Albert Gudmundsson replaces Finnbogason


84 minute: Barely within minutes, Saevarsson gets Yellow card for bringing down Perisic


82 minute: Jedvaj gets Yellow card


80 minute: Another substitution for Croatia. Rakitic replaces Kovacic


Iceland 1-1 Croatia!


74 minute: Penalty! A Great chance for Iceland and yes they made it


72 minute: A close miss by Iceland. Finnbogason and Bjarnason play a one-two but fail to hit the bar


71 minute: Another substitution for Iceland! Ragnar Sigurdsson goes, Sigurdarson comes in


70 minute: Substitution for Iceland! Pjaca replaced by Lovren


66 minute: Sigurdsson launches a wide angle shot but it is not much of a help. Corner for Croatia but the team fail to utilise the opportunity


64 minute: Substitution for Croatia! Bradaric replaces Modric


61 minute: It is getting difficult for Iceland with Croatia dominating evidently for the last couple of minutes 


57 minute: Hallfredsson gets Yellow card for sliding into Pjaca


53 minute: Goal! Croatia take the lead scoring a goal against Iceland


50 minutes: Meanwhile, Nigeria get a penalty against Argentina where the Africans equalise


48 minute: Iceland get the first corner of the second half. Croatian defence takes care of the corner, no harm


45 minute: Croatia start off the second half


Halftime! Iceland 0-0 Croatia, Argentina 1-0 Nigeria


45+2 minute: Iceland giving back to back attacks. A goal is what they need. First half ends goalless


2 minutes of stoppage time!


45 minute: Iceland attempt another shot, Hallfredsson's target to hit the Croatian post goes wide off


43 minute: Iceland are certainly the most attacking team and have been raiding the Croatian penalty box frequently. But their shooting has been weaver 


40 minute: A close miss by Iceland. Finnbogason gets the ball and plays a one-two with Sigurdsson. Finnbogason takes the shot but the ball narrowly misses the Croatian goal post


36 minute: While Croatia seem like taking their eye off the ball, Iceland take full advantage of it. A well-played Iceland corner almost led to a goal


32 minute: Iceland get a free kick. Sigurdsson shot is collected calmly by the Croatian goalkeeper


30 minute: Iceland get a corner but Magnusson's header is over the cross bar


28 minute: There have been a lot of mid field action but the goalkeepers of both the sides have hardly got a chance to touch the ball


25 minute: Iceland giving a good counter-attack. Iceland's Gunnarsson sends a long throwing towards Croatia's penalty box. Magnusson heads the ball which rolls across dangerously across the Croatian goal post


23 minute: Iceland are looking up to become the first World Cup debutants to enter the round of 16 in a World Cup tournament since Slovakia in 2010


20 minute: Croatia get a corner but fail to take advantage of it 


18 minute: Overcoming the knock, Bjarnason is back on the field


14 minute: Meanwhile, the Argentinians are ahead with Lionel Messi scoring the first goal. Argentina 1-0 Nigeria


11 minute: A brief pause in the game following the injury suffered by Bjarnason. Pjaca booked for elbowing him


8 minute: Iceland attempt its first attack with Sigurdsson sending in a low cross, but it is cleared by a Croatian defender


6 minute: Even with nine changes, Croatia not dominating the possessions


4 minute: The Croatians are rolling the ball midfield, giving Iceland less chance to get hold of the ball. Croatian coach Dalic Zlatko has brought in nine changes for this match against Iceland


2 minute: Iceland kicked off the game wearing white while the Croatians are in navy blue. Croatia is looking for a third consecutive win in their Group C match


Kickoff


Lineups


Iceland XI: Halldorsson, Saevarsson, Sverrir Ingason, Ragnar Sigurdsson, Gudmundsson, Bjarnason, Sigurdsson, Finnbogason, Aron Gunnarsson, Magnusson, Emil Hallfredsson


Croatia XI: Lovre Kalinic, Ivan Perisic, Vedran Corluka, Mateo Kovacic, Andrej Kramaric, Luka Modric, Tin Jedvaj, Duje Caleta-Car, Milan Badelj, Marko Pjaca, Josip Pivaric


Croatia are already through to the Round of 16 with victories over Argentina and Nigeria while Iceland played a draw with Argentina before losing to Nigeria. Iceland's fate does not only lie in their own hands as a win on Tuesday may not be enough for them but will also hope that Nigeria lose to Argentina.


Croatia tops the group with six points while the Heimir Hallgrimsson-coached Iceland have just a single point in their kitty and lie at the third spot. On Tuesday, Croatia could also become the fourth team in the history of the World Cup to win all three of their group games without conceding a goal.


Iceland full squad:


Goalkeepers: Hannes Halldorsson (Randers/DEN), Runar Runarsson (Nordsjaelland/DEN), Frederik Schram (Roskilde/DEN)


Defenders: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen/SCO), Holmar Eyjolfsson (Levski Sofia/BUL), Rurik Gislason (Sandhausen/GER), Sverrir Ingason (Rostov/RUS), Hordur Magnusson (Bristol City/ENG), Birkir Saevarsson (Valur), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Rostov/RUS), Ari Skulason (Lokeren/BEL)


Midfielders: Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa/ENG), Samuel Fridjonsson (Valerenga/NOR), Johann Gudmundsson (Burnley/ENG), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City/WAL), Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese/ITA), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton/ENG), Olafur Skulason (Karabukspor/TUR), Arnor Traustason (Malmo/SWE)


Forwards: Jon Bodvarsson (Reading/ENG), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg/GER), Albert Gudmundsson (PSV/NED), Bjorn Sigurdarson (Rostov/RUS)


Croatia full squad:


Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco/FRA), Lovre Kalinic (Gent/BEL), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb)


Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow/RUS), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas/TUR), Ivan Strinic (Sampdoria/ITA), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool/ENG), Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Josip Pivaric (Dynamo Kiev/UKR), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT)


Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid/ESP), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona/ESP), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid/ESP), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina/ITA), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan /ITA), Filip Bradaric (Rijeka)


Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus/ITA), Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan/ITA), Nikola Kalinic (AC Milan/ITA), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim/GER), Marko Pjaca (Schalke/GER), Ante Rebic (Eintracht/GER)