Croatia surprised favourites Brazil to succeed in the World Cup semi-finals on Friday, profitable 4-2 on penalties after a nailbiting last-eight tie completed 1-1 on the finish of additional time. Marquinhos missed the essential spot-kick within the shoot-out, hitting the submit when he needed to rating to maintain Brazil in it after Rodrygo’s earlier try had been saved by objective keeper Dominik Livakovic and Croatia transformed all 4 penalties. It was a exceptional turnaround after Brazil had seemed set for victory when Neymar opened the scoring with an exquisite strike halfway by way of additional time that allowed him to equal Pele‘s Brazilian document of 77 worldwide targets.

But Bruno Petkovic hit again on the different finish within the 117th minute for Croatia to power a shoot-out, and Zlatko Dalic’s staff adopted up their win over Japan on penalties within the final spherical with this victory, which should go down as their biggest ever triumph.

They advance to the semi-finals, whereas Brazil should wait a minimum of one other 4 years earlier than profitable a record-extending sixth title.

Neymar — who left the pitch in tears — had fired Brazil into the lead on the finish of the primary half of extra-time, working one-twos with Rodrygo and Lucas Paqueta earlier than rounding goalkeeper Livakovic to attain.

But it didn’t break Croatia’s resistance because the 2018 World Cup finalists hit again to degree.

Brazil had by no means performed with the identical attacking aptitude as of their last-16 win over South Korea.

Croatia had been as stubborn and troublesome to interrupt down as ever, they usually have now gone to additional time in eight of their final 9 main match knockout matches, with the exception being their defeat to France within the World Cup ultimate 4 years in the past.

It was by no means going to be simple for Brazil to play with the identical freedom and pleasure as of their demolition of South Korea, once they celebrated their targets with choreographed dance strikes that appeared to upset some onlookers.

– Fear of shedding –

But the problem for Brazil coach Tite’s facet — given the large stress that’s all the time on the Brazilian nationwide staff at a World Cup — was to not let the concern of shedding take away all that pleasure.

The stakes get greater because the match progresses and Brazil got here into Friday’s sport at Doha’s Education City Stadium seeking to keep away from falling into one other entice set by an achieved European facet.

Brazil had been knocked out of the final 4 World Cups at both this stage or within the semi-finals, each time by European opposition.

Croatia could also be a nation of simply 4 million folks however they bought to the ultimate 4 years in the past and Luka Modric, their inspiration then, stays one of many best gamers on the planet at 37.

It seems {that a} midfield three of Modric, Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic and Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic can maintain its personal in opposition to Brazil too.

The Selecao had scored 4 instances within the first 36 minutes in opposition to South Korea. Here they managed simply three makes an attempt on course within the first half, and nothing severely troubled the Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper Livakovic.

Brazil practically scored inside two minutes of the second half as an Eder Militao cutback was virtually became his personal by Josko Gvardiol, earlier than Livakovic produced saves from Richarlison, Neymar and Paqueta.

Further Livakovic stops from Neymar and from Paqueta adopted, draining a number of the perception from a tense Brazilian help.

It appeared as in the event that they had been heading for defeat when Neymar broke the impasse, however Croatia confirmed all their resilience to equalise when Petkovic utilized a first-time end to a low centre by fellow substitute Mislav Orsic.

Then got here penalties, and Nikola Vlasic, Lovro Majer, Modric and Orsic all transformed for Croatia, whereas Rodrygo and Marquinhos got here up brief.

Neymar, alleged to take Brazil’s ultimate kick, didn’t get the prospect, and his match ends in tears.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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