Croatia – Brazil 1:1, 4:2 on pen., CUT: The Brazilians are going home. The Croats won the penalties again and are in the semi-finals!

Both goals at the Education City Stadium in Doha came in overtime. First, Neymar equaled the legendary Pelé’s record with his 77th national team goal, but substitute Bruno Petkovič equalized in the 117th minute. The Croatians completed the turnaround in penalties and at the World Cup they have a 100% record from four shootouts. They also succeeded in the round of 16 with Japan in the same way.

Croatia did not defeat today’s opponent after 90 minutes even on the fifth attempt, but after 1998 and 2018 they also managed the third quarter-final match at the World Cup. Brazil finished at the same stage as at the last championship in Russia. The five-time world champions have been waiting to advance to the semi-finals since 2002, when they dominated the entire tournament.

The Brazilians did not follow up on the overwhelming start from the game against Korea (4:1), in which they led by two goals early and scored all the goals by the 36th minute. Today, they sent three shots at the goalkeeper Livakovič in the opening act, but the hero of the penalty shootout from the round of 16 duel with Japan scored comfortable saves.

The South Americans had problems with the opponent’s active pressing, but even the Croatians had a hard time getting to the end. The first big chance of the match came shortly after the change of sides, when Livakovič reflexively kicked Raphinh’s deflected cross on the line.

The favored “Canaries” did not dominate the game, but they were the only dangerous forwards. In the 55th minute, Livakovič excelled again against Neymar, and ten minutes later Paquetá also hit the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper from close range. Neymar subsequently failed to score from a similar position from the left for the second time.

While Livakovič kept the Balkan team in the game, his counterpart Alisson did not make a single save in the entire match. At the World Cup, Croatia took the fifth of the last six knockout stage matches to at least extra time. At the tournament in Qatar, they played without a goal for the third time and contributed significantly to a record eighth 0-0 draw in one world championship.

Brozovič had the first opportunity in extra time after Petkovič’s individual action, but he shot over from an ideal position. In the setting of the first part of extra time, Neymar collided with Rodrygo, then with Paqueta, and scored the second goal of the tournament after a loop by the goalkeeper. But in the end, the Croats equalized with a single shot between the three posts. After the cooperation of alternating players, Oršič’s pass was used by Petkovič, who sent the duel to penalties with his first shot at the World Cup.

Right at the beginning of the shootout, Livakovič caught Rodrygo, on the other hand, the Croatian shooters were infallible. They gradually changed Vlašič, Majer, Modrič and Oršič. In the fourth series, he definitively ended Brazil’s hopes with a shot into the bar of stopper Marquinhos. The South Americans were eliminated in the quarterfinals for the fourth time in the last five championships.