Wc: Russia vs Croatia 2-3 FT, as it happened...
MATCH PREVIEW:
- Russia and Croatia have faced three times previously, with two of those ending goalless in qualifiers for Euro 2008; Croatia won the other meeting in November 2015, a 3-1 victory in a friendly in Rostov, with Mario Mandzukic scoring Croatia’s third goal.
- Russia have reached the quarter-final of the World Cup for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union – as the USSR, they reached the quarter-final in four consecutive World Cups between 1958 and 1970.
- Croatia won their only other World Cup quarter-final, defeating Germany in 1998 on their way to that year’s semi-finals, when they were eliminated.
- The last five host nations to feature in a World Cup quarter-final have all progressed to the semi-final (Italy 1990, France 1998, South Korea 2002, Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014).
- Croatia have scored as many goals in four matches at this year’s World Cup (8) as they did in six games in their previous two World Cup appearances in 2006 and 2014 combined.
- Russia had 10 shots on target in their first two 2018 World Cup games – they have managed just two in their last two matches, with one of those a penalty (Artem Dzyuba v Spain).
- After keeping clean sheets in both of their opening games at this World Cup, Croatia have conceded once in each of their last two matches; they haven’t conceded a goal in three consecutive matches at the same World Cup tournament since 2002, when they failed to keep a clean sheet in all three of their matches.
- Croatia have only lost one of their seven World Cup matches against fellow European opposition (W5 D1), while Russia have never beaten a European team at the World Cup (D1 L3), although they did eliminate Spain on penalties in the Last 16 of this tournament after a 1-1 draw.
- 10 of Croatia’s last 12 World Cup goals have come in the second halves of their games.
- Mario Mandzukic scored his third World Cup goal for Croatia against Denmark in the last round – only Davor Suker (6) has scored more for them at the World Cup.
- Artem Dzyuba has been directly involved in four of Russia’s last seven goals at the 2018 World Cup (three goals, one assist), scoring both of their last two.
- Croatia have faced the host nation at the World Cup twice previously, losing both matches against France in 1998 (1-2 in semi-final) and Brazil in 2014 (1-3 in group stage).
LIVE COMMENTARY: