Rakitic scores the winning penalty, Croatia advance to semi-finals for the first time since 1998. Croatia win 4-3 on penalties and knock hosts Russia out of the World Cup. Russia’s dream run comes to a heartbreaking end. Who would have thought that the least ranked team (70th), would go down on penalties in the last eight. Russia may have lost today but they certainly punched above their weight, stunning 2010 champions Spain in the quarter-finals. Croatia face England in the last four on Wednesday.    


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Follow the match updates here:


Russia 2-2 Croatia. Croatia win 4-3 on penalties!!!


5-Croatia. GOAL!!! Rakitic scores the winner. Croatia win.


5-Russia. GOAL!! Kuzyaev scores. 


4-Croatia. GOAL!! Vida scores. 


4-Russia. GOAL!!  Ignashevich scores. 


3-Croatia. GOAL!! Modric scores. 


3-Russia. MISS! Fernandes fires his shot wide. 


2-Croatia. SAVED!! Akinfeev saves Kovacic's shot. 


2-Russia. GOAL!! Dzagoev scores.


Russia 0- 1 Croatia!


1-Croatia. GOAL!! Brozovic scores. 


1-Russia. MISS!! Subasic saves Smolov's shot. 


Russia to take the first penalty. 


Penalties!


Full-time ( extra time) 


1 minute of added time!


119 minute: Russia's Zobnin attempts a shot from distance but goalkeeper Subasic dives to his right to save the ball. That was close. 


Russia 2-2 Croatia!!!


114 minute: Yellow card! Pivaric concedes a free-kick right outside the Croatian box. This could be dangerous. Russia desperately need a goal here. What a match this is turning out to be. GOAL!! Fernandes scores the equaliser. 


111 minute: Corner for Russia. Kuziaev fires a dangerous half-volley towards the goal but an ailing Subasic hangs on to the ball. That was close. Russia need a miracle here. 


110 minute: Free-kick to Croatia. Rakitic picks up a pass on the edge of the Russian box but fires the ball directly into the hands of the goalkeeper. 


109 minute: Yellow card! Russia's Gazinsky gets booked for a challenge on Mandzukic.


 



 


Russia 1-2 Croatia!!


Half-time (Extra time)!!


2 minutes of added time!


104 minute: Corner for Russia. Erokhin heads the ball wide. Russian are up and attacking here. 


Russia 1-2 Croatia!!


100 minute:  Corner for Croatia. GOAL!! Modric whips the ball in, Vida heads the ball into the goal. 


96 minute: Substitution for Croatia. Corluka replaces the injured Vrsaljko. 


Extra time!


Russia 1-1 Croatia!!


Full-time!!


5 minutes of Stoppage time!


90 minute: Croatia's goalkeeper Subasic goes down after a cramp. But unfortunately for Croatia, they have exhausted their substitutions of the match. Subasic needs to hang on here. 


88 minute: Substitution for Croatia. Kovacic in for Kramaric. 


87 minute: Corner for Croatia. Modric whips the ball in, but the Referee stops play after a challenge from Lovren.


85 minute: Free-kick to Russia at a dangerous place. The Croatian defence clear the ball to safety. 


 



 


80 minute: Substitution for Russia. Dzyuba is replaced by Gazinsky.


77 minute: Corner for Croatia. Modric whips the ball in, Mandzukic heads the ball into the crowd. 


74 minute: Substitution for Croatia. Pivaric replaces Strinic.


72 minute: MISS!!  Russia's Fernandes chips the ball into the Croatian box but Erokhin heads it away from the goal. That was close. 


67 minute: Substitution for Russia. Smolov is in for Cheryshev. 


63 minute: Substitution for Croatia. Perisic is replaced by Brozovic.


59 minute: MISS!! Perisic fires a shot on target but the ball hits the crossbar and rebounds across the line. 


56 minute: Both Russia and Croatia are up and attacking in the second-half but fail to create space in the final third. 


54 minute: Substitution for Russia. Erokhin is in for Samedov.


48 minute: Free-kick to Croatia after Samedov brings down Strinic in a challenge. 


Second-half is underway!


 



 


Russia 1-1 Croatia!!


Half-time!


2 minutes of Stoppage time!


 



 


Russia 1-1 Croatia!!


39 minute: GOAL!!! Kramaric heads a cross from Mandzukic into the bottom corner. What a spectacular goal. Croatia equalise. 


38 minute: Yellow card!  Croatian player Strinic gets a yellow card for a foul on Samedov.


36 minute: Yellow card! Croatia's Lovren gets booked for a challenge on Dzyuba. 


Russia 1-0 Croatia!!


31 minute: GOAL!! Cheryshev scores a stunning goal from distance. Russia take the lead. 


 



 


28 minute: Croatia's Perisic attempts to head a cross towards the goal but directs the ball wide. That was close. 


22 minute: Possession, Croatia- 65 percent, Russia- 35 percent. 


17 minute: Russia's Ignashevich makes a threatening long-ball to Samedov on the right-corner but the latter gives it away in the final third. That was close. 


16 minute: Free-kick to Croatia at a dangerous position. Rakitic clouds the ball away from the goal. 


14 minute: Free-kick to Croatia. Rakitic whips the ball into the middle but Rebic miscues his shot. 


12 minute: MISS!! Croatia's Mandzukic picks up a cross at close range but fails to capitalise. 


7 minute: Corner for Croatia. MISS!! Rebic rises to head the ball towards the goal but hits it wide. 


5 minute: Corner for Russia. Golovin whips the ball directly into Rakitic, who clears the ball to safety. 


2 minute: That was close! Russia's Cheryshev sprints into the Croatian penalty box but his shot gets blocked by defender Vrsaljko. 


Kick-off!


Lineups


Russia XI: Akinfeev, Fernandes, Kutepov, Sergei Ignashevich, Kudriashov, Cheryshev, Kuziaev, Zobnin, Golovin, Samedov, Dzyuba. 


Croatia XI: Subasic, Vrsaljko, Strinic, Lovren, Vida, Rakitic, Modric, Perisic, Kramaric, Mandzukic, Rebic. 


Interestingly, the last five host nations to feature in a World Cup quarter-final have all advanced to the semi-final ( Italy 1990, France 1998, South Korea 2002, Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014). While Croatia, on the other hand, last won a quarter-final match way back in 1998. 


Russia, who have had a successful campaign so far, stunned 2010 champions Spain 3-4 on penalties to book a spot in the last eight. Croatia, unbeaten in the group stages, edged past Denmark with a 3-2 win on penalties in the round of 16. 


Croatia boasts of top-class players like Luka Modric, Mario Mandzukic, Ante Rebic and Ivan Perisic. The East-Europeans, strong on paper, will look to challenge the host nation with their pacy one-touch passing in the midfield. However, Croatia would not take the Russians, who have history and home advantage on their side, lightly. 



Full squad:


Russia:
 
Goalkeepers- Igor Akinfeev, Vladimir Gabulov, Andrey Lunev.


Defenders- Mario Fernandes, Vladimir Granat, Sergey Ignashevich, Fedor Kudryashov, Ilya Kutepov, Andrey Semenov, Igor Smolnikov.


Midfielders- Denis Cheryshev, Alan Dzagoev, Aleksandr Erokhin, Yuri Gazinskiy, Aleksandr Golovin, Daler Kuzyaev, Anton Miranchuk, Aleksandr Samedov, Yuri Zhirkov, Roman Zobnin.


Forwards- Artem Dzyuba, Alexsey Miranchuk, Fedor Smolov.



Croatia: 


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.