Croatia and Brazil The quarterfinals of the Qatar 2022 with, a priori, the ‘canarinha’ as a favorite due to their offensive power and after going through the round of 16 with a win against South Korea (4-1) that allowed them to rest more than Luka Modric and company.
And it is that Croatia needed penalties to beat Japan, a way that is already common for them. From the euro 2008, Whenever the Balkan team has won a tie in major tournaments, they have done so on penalties. And seven of their last eight knockout matches have gone to overtime.
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Only the Russia 2018 final ended in regulation time. A streak that hopes to break a Brazil that removed any kind of doubt that the defeat against Cameroon (1-0), in which tite He rotated his team with up to nine changes, in the last day of the group stage, scoring four goals against South Korea in 36 minutes.
And he did not do more because, aware of what was ahead, they dosed themselves. There was even time to give minutes to the third goalkeeper, Weverton, and for the 26 players called up to play like that. Everything is rolling for Brazil.
Until richarlison made Tite dance in the criticized, again, celebrations of
Brazil. And defended, again, by the footballers. It is their identity and they will not leave it aside.
it’s another party
The match vs. South Korea marked the return of Neymar after missing two games due to an ankle injury. He scored a penalty, with a calmness that will surely worry Croatia if they settle their future again in this instance, and he is one goal away from equaling Pelé as the top scorer in the history of his team.
In addition, he has achieved three of the last five goals scored by the team
Brazilian against the Croatian bloc. Almost nothing, although his great objective is to add the sixth star. Looking at the precedents, both have something to hold on to.
Croatia have lost four of their five World Cup matches against South American teams, two of them against Brazil, and they have been eliminated in every tie against a European team since they claimed their fifth title in the final against Germany in 2002.
But what stands out is the present, and that will begin to come into play at the Ciudad de la Educación stadium, which will host its last World Cup match. A meeting for which Eder Militao, Bruno Guimaraes and Fred They are on the alert and if they see a yellow card they will lose a hypothetical semifinal against the Netherlands or Argentina.
The big doubt in both teams facing their starting eleven is on the left side. Alex Sandro seems to have recovered from his muscular discomfort and his starting presence will depend on what Tite wants to risk with him. If he don’t play he will Danilo with a changed leg and Militao will once again act as a right back.
A situation that also occurs in Croatia. zlatko dalic Borna Sosa is recovering for the clash against Brazil, who has overcome the virus that has affected him in recent days and which kept him from the clash against Japan.
However, and although he has been a fixture in recent lineups, it is possible that Dalic will not start him in the quarterfinal match and that he will maintain the defensive line that was successful against Japan. It’s the one on the side josip stanisic Croatia’s only injury loss.
Low?
The defender of the Bayern Munich that he will not be part of Dalic’s call, who usually makes few variations in his eleven.
In fact, the movements in the Balkan team always appear in the part of the attack where the coach makes the most variations, who only keeps Ivan Perisic.
Thus, what is expected is that Dalic starts the goal Dominik Livakovic and maintains the lag with Josip Stanisic, Dejan Lovren, Josko Gvuardiol and Josip Juranovic. Fixed is also the midfield with Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic, the man who covered the most kilometers in the clash against Japan.
Zlatko Dalic has handled all kinds of variants in attack and does not finish settling the tips that accompany Perisic. andrej kramaric aims to start although the coach can also give minutes to Nicola Vlasic, who started the tournament in eleven until he was injured, or Marko Livaja.
Bruno Petkovic and Ante Budimir They are also waiting. Clinging to their survival instinct and with Russia 2018 as an example, Croatia assumes the status of Brazil’s favorite without giving up the Qatar 2022 semifinals.
Zlatko Dalic’s squad is used to going undercover, not being part of the list of candidates for every major tournament despite having become runner-up in the world four years ago and obtaining third place twenty years ago.
Not even the reputed victories harvested against rivals of substance have changed the consideration of the Vatreni, who are better handled in situations like the one that is going to measure Brazil: a national team with all the possible shine in its history and a cheerful and offensive, ideal for the Balkan team to handle their weapons. Croatia is ready for everything. For a long match, for penalties.
This is how he has progressed in the last World Cups and Euro Cups to reach limits where nobody thought. Dalic’s team that has emerged successfully from every setback in Qatar 2022 so far is in full regeneration.
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