Danijel Subasic made three saves in the shootout. (Source: Reuters)
Danijel Subasic and Kasper Schmeichel put up a display of goalkeeping excellence during the penalty shootout and in the end, it was the former that prevailed. Between them, the two made five saves, three for Subasic and two from Schmeichel. It was that one extra save that pulled Croatia over the line. Both sides had scored within the first five minutes of the match but were not able to find the target in the two hours of football that they played after that. Croatia had won a penalty towards the end of the second period of extra time but Luka Modric only ended up finding Kasper Schmeichel, thus forcing the game into penalties.
VS
Croatia
1
4’ Mario Mandzukic
4’ Mario Mandzukic1
Denmark
- 1’ Mathias Jorgensen
3
2
Penalties
Schmeichel made two saves, Subasic made three. This was goalkeeping at its very best. We leave you with this interesting stat.
Ivan Rakitic finds the target and Croatia will face Russia in the quarter-finals on July 7. One of the most extraordinary penalty shootouts you would ever see in a football knockout game comes to an end.
Jurgensen's penalty saved again by Subasic, Croatia through if they score the next
And now Schmeichel saves!
Schone's penalty saved by Subasic!
Luka Modric gets revenge for his saved penalty
Krohn-Delhi converts his, Denmark back in front.
Kramaric eases it into the bottom left, Schmeichel says that he feinted and calls foul.
Kjaer is the first man to hit the target and Denmark take the lead.
Scmeichel saves and cancels the advantage, Croatia 0-0 Denmark
He goes for the left, Subosic dives the right way but it hits the post and away! Advantage Croatia!
The ends has been chosen, Denmark will take the first kick and Christian Eriksen who steps up.
Kasper Schmeichel has saved his team once already, he will be called on to repeat the feat. After those twin goals in the first five minutes, the two teams have not been able to find the target. So, for the second time in a day, a match will be decided by penalties.
Modric, desperate to make amends, takes a shot from the D and it is straight at Schmeichel.
ABSOLUTE SCENES IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD! It is not the best of spot-kicks from Modric, low and a little to the left of Schmeichel, he dives the right way and holds on to the ball. For once, the unflappable Luka Modric has failed to find the target.
Modric plays in Rebic with a brilliant through ball and the latter is clean through with just the keeper in front of him, he skips pas Schmeichel, Jorgensen takes him down, penalty given. Interestingly only yellow for Jorgensen, Modric stands over it.....
Knudsen with a long throw-in from the right, it drops to Nikola Jurgensen on the far side but he can't get his shot away. It is not happening for either sides, penalties looms in front of them.
Sisto gets into the box with te ball from the left, turns and makes space for a shot at the far post, it is just wide. Mario Mandzukic is taken off for Milan Badelj.
And the score remains the way it was in the beginning. Both sides have had periods of possession and attack but, nothing has come out of it.
Another corner, Modric hits it at the near post, Denmark clear.
Croatia on the offensive, Modric with puts in a cross from the lft and it is just about punched over the bar by Schmeichel. Modric swings in a corner, the attempted clearance comes to Mandzukic but Denmark manage to clear it.
Denmark corner, Eriksen takes and it is punched out for a throw-in by Subosic. Knudsen throws it in and Croatia are given a scare before they head it clear.
Knudsen has performed three missile throws so far, the latest one from the right flat into the box, it is headed out by Croatia.
No goals apart from those that went in the first five minutes and we have another match going into extra time today. Both sets of players with ice-bags over their heads in their heads. They huddle up and break before the two captains do the coin-toss with the referee.
Eriksen takes the corner, Subotic punches it clear only for it to fall to Braithwaite who takes the shot first time, just wide of the far post.
Three minutes added on. Rakitic with a shot from distance and it curls just wide of the left-side goal post. The game goes to the other side from where Eriksen takes a shot and it goes out for a corner.
A couple of monster throw-ins from Knudsen from the left and right. Both of them land in the mixer but come to nothing.
Rebic twists and dribbles and losses Knudsen to send the ball in from the right of the box, Mandzukic's shot is deflected wide. The resulting corner comes to nothing.
Modric takes the resulting free kick low and Perisic picks up the pass, he takes the shot and that is parried away by Schmeichel.
It looks we could have another game going into extra time today. Kovacic wrestles with Poulsen, loses his balance, falls and bangs his face on the ground in the follow-through. That looked like a sickening blow and it looks like he may have taken a couple of injections to recover from it.
Modric with a shot from around 30 yards out after a poor Denmark clearance but it is well wide of the target. Moments later, Vrsaljko drills one straight at Schmeichel after a little shuffle through midfield.
Once again, Denmark get forward with Poulsen and he is dragged back by Strinic.
Once again, Youssuf Poulsen takes down a long ball brilliantly and plays it in to Nicolai Jorgensen. He takes the shot and it is straight at Subotic. Nicolai Jorgensen had replaced Cornelius around five minutes back. Croatia have also made a change with Kovacic coming in for Brozovic.
Knudsen all over Rebic near the corner flag on the right of the Denmark box. After a lot of wrestling with the ball just lying around in front of Rebic, he goes down and takes it in his hand. Referee penalises him for handball. Croatia should be careful though, Denmark have a Lannister on their side.
Perisic makes his way into the box from the left, trying to find space for a shot, Dalsgaard blocking his path. Perisic drops a shoulder, finds space and puts the ball in but it is kicked away by Kjaer. The resulting corner is punched away by Schmeichel.
Denmark's dribblers are causing all sorts of problems. Thomas Delaney runs a long way with the ball and reaches the box, he gets to the byline almost before taking a shot that is blocked by Subotic.
A long ball from the half way line is taken down brilliantly by Poulsen, he cuts inside goes past one defender, plays a one-two with Eriksen but by that time, he loses control of the ball. That was a gorgeous take down though by Yussuf Poulsen.
Croatia get forward, Rakitic provides a long-ball to Rebic who lays it wide for Perisic on the right. Perisic puts in the cross, it has too much on it for Rakitic to reach.
Finally, one of these two sides decide to do something. Brathwaite gets in and tries to work the ball in, it is blocked by a Croatian defender. He then decides to take the shot himself and it is nowhere near the goal.
The start of this half is truly a contrast to the first. Utterly nothing of note has happened. Both sides have had somewhat equal possession.
Nope, no such luck. The second half pales in comparison to the first, let's hope it gets better. Croatia kick it off and are right now comfortably passing the ball around.
We will put in an update as soon as a goal goes, which surely will be in the next minute.
Two goals in the first five minutes for both teams and a lot of back and forth after that. What a thrilling first half we have had at Nizhny Novgorod. Both sides have come close to scoring since those crazy first five minutes but no decisive blow yet. Mario Mandzukic needed some treatment in the dying minutes of the first half. It remains to be seen how serious his injury is.
Rebic with what looked like a poor pass infield from the left but the ball simply rolls on to the path of Rakitic. He is space and takes the shot, Schmeichel dives to his left and makes the save.
Eriksen plays a one-two with Poulsen at the edge of the box on the right before putting the ball in at the far post. Not sure if that was intended as a cross or a shot by Eriksen as it missed the top corner by inches.
Croatia win a free kick that Modric takes, a vicious cross aimed at the far post where Lovren is lurking. It is just out of the Liverpool defender's reach and goes out.
Ivan Strinic runs with the ball from the halfway line all the way into the box but is finally stopped by Kjaer.
Croatia come close but with Kasper Schmeichel blocking out Rakitic's shot from distance. The ball then goes to Rebic who takes two shots, both of them saved by the Denmark keeper. The ball rebounds to Perisic after the second save and his shot is well over the bar.
Martin Braithwaite driving in through the centre but runs into traffic. He is played in once again by Modric, this time down the right and Subosic comes across to parry the ball away.
A lull in play as both teams struggle to keep the ball in play. The crowd uses this rare dip to start a Mexican wave.
Christian Eriksen takes a shot from around 20 yards out, it goes out with a deflection. The resulting corner is cleared by Denmark.
Modric passes out wide to Perisic as Croatia counter after a period of Denmark possession. Perisic tries to cross it in but it is blocked away. The ball is put back inside and Mandzukic goes down claiming a penalty. VAR does take a look and Croatia do not get their spot-kick.
Perisic takes, it hits Delaney and goes out for a corner. Croatia in full control since they scored that equaliser. They are working the ball well around the Danish area. Denmark struggling to get out of their own half at the moment.
Rebic taken down at the edge of the box and it is a free kick for Croatia. Rakitic to take.....
And they equalise almost immediately. This is a ridiculous start A simple cross from the right that Denmark fail to clear. The ball smashes Christensen in the face before falling kindly for Mandzukic, he takes the shot first time and finds the target. Both teams score within the opening five minutes.
Well, here we go! A scrappy goal but a goal nonetheless and it is Denmark who go in front! A throw in that Delaney gets at the end of, he passes it to Jorgensen whose shot slips through the keeper and over the line.
Denmark kick off proceedinds at Nizhny Novgorod. They are in their traditional white shirt and red shors, Croatia in their black with red checks.
The Danes and Croats are out on the pitch and national anthems of the two respective countries are being played. This is it then.
So, no Spain, no Argentina, no Germany and no Portugal. Croatia are no longer dark horses. They are very much one of the favourites to win this now, along with Brazil, England, France and Belgium. But then again, this World Cup has blasted away this system of favourites going to win it so, for all you may know, we might Sweden and Japan.
Croatia XI: Subasic (GK), Vrsaljko, Strinic, Perisc, Lovren, Rakitic, Modric, Brozovic, Mandzukic, Rebic, Vida
Denmark XI: Schmeichel (GK), Kjaer, Knudsen, Christensen, Delaney, Eriksen, Braithwaite, Jorgensen, Dalsgaard, Yurary, Cornelius