Croatia and Brazil will determine the semi-finalist of the 2022 World Cup in a face-to-face confrontation. Who will become one?
Croatia
The 1/8 finals match with Croatia was the first at the 2022 World Cup in which the showdown reached a penalty shootout. The European team's opponents were Japan, which managed to take the lead in the 43rd minute, but after the break Perisic very quickly established parity - in the 55th minute. This goal was the last one from the game, as a result of which it was time for eleven-meter strikes. The Croats made three attempts out of four, and the Japanese made one out of four, which is why they left Qatar. As for the group stage, Croatia did not suffer a single defeat, having played 0-0 with Morocco and Belgium, and defeated Canada 4-1 in the second round.
Brazil
If Croatia was very close to relegation, having achieved victory only in a penalty shootout in the 1/8 finals game, then Brazil decided to do without the hassle in the first stage of the playoffs, leaving no chance for South Korea. From the first minutes, the representative of South America got down to business and scored on the seventh, and on the 36th he won with a score of 4-0, removing questions about the winner. Junior Vinicius, Neymar, Richarlison and Paqueta each scored a goal. This victory was the third for the Brazilians in the Qatar World Cup, and two more were won over Serbia (2-0) and Switzerland (1-0) in the group stage. The only unpleasant moment is the defeat by Cameroon (0-1) in the third round of the group stage, but it did not prevent the Brazilians from winning Group G.
Statistics and figures:
- Croatia coped with Japan in the previous stage due to a penalty shootout (1-1 in the game and 3-1 on penalties);
- Brazil advanced to the 1/8 finals against South Korea (4-1);
- The teams have met four times - three wins against Brazil and a draw.
Forecast
In the 1/8 finals, Brazil showed that it is in perfect order, while Croatia barely passed Japan. I think that the Brazilians will not face difficulties and will confidently break the -1 handicap.