Having qualified for the semi-final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Croatia will face another tough test against Argentina.
The 2018 runners-up had won all their knockout games through penalties.
After sending Brazil home in the quarter-finals, Croatia will aim to reach back-to-back finals when they lock horns with another South American team, Argentina, in Tuesday’s semi-final at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Both sides had progressed to this stage via penalties after 120 minutes of draws.
Thus, both teams have penalty prowess which they showed by settling nervy quarter-final contests.
Argentina will undoubtedly rely on the magic of Lionel Messi, who scored and created an assist in their last encounter against the Netherlands.
Argentina will be going into the back of a nervy clash against the Netherlands that produced 17 yellow cards.
Now that they have held their nerves and proceeded to the last four, they would want to avoid taking on Croatia but have no choice this time around.
Brazil was on the verge of reaching the semi-final before a late goal from Croatia turned the result. It would have been an all-South American semi-final between Brazil and Argentina.
Now that this will not be the case for Lionel Scaloni’s crop, the Copa America winners’ record in World Cup semi-finals favour them.
Every time Argentina got to the semi-final of a world cup, they usually proceed to the final. This is the Sixth, the most recent of which came in the 2014 tournament before their heartbreaking defeat to Germany.
Apart from having Messi, Scaloni’s gallant goal scorers enter the semi-finals, having scored at least two goals in each of their last four matches in all tournaments. They have scored in each of their last 14 in total.
However, this record could be stopped by Croatia. They have to face the staunch rearguard action of Croatia if they want to proceed to the final.
Apart from the fact that Messi will be handy, Dominik Livakovic, who denied Brazil repeatedly, will also have his handful.
Argentina will therefore need to be on Croatia’s defence in search of goals. Going into penalties on this one might not favour them.
This game is expected to produce many goals as usual.
Oladipupo Mojeed
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