Having already sent one South American behemoth home from
the World Cup, Croatia will be aiming to reach
back-to-back finals when they lock horns with Argentina in Tuesday’s semi-final at
Lusail Iconic Stadium.
The penalty prowess of both sides
settled nervy quarter-final contests, as Zlatko Dalic‘s men
dumped Brazil out on spot kicks a few hours before La Albiceleste beat the
Netherlands from 12 yards.
If there was one game to
characterize the chaotic, feisty and unpredictable nature of the 2022 World
Cup, Argentina’s quarter-final with the Netherlands followed the script to a
tee.
A Lionel Messi-inspired
Albiceleste had one foot firmly in the semi-finals through Nahuel Molina and
the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s calm penalty, but a late brace from Wout Weghorst –
including a 100th-minute equaliser – forced the unlikeliest of extra-time
periods.
Yet another penalty shootout would
be needed to decide the destiny of the two teams, and in the wake of mass
brawls, gamesmanship galore and a staggering 17 yellow cards, Argentina held
their nerve from the spot to prevail and advance to the final four.
The footballing gods would have
surely delivered an all-South American semi-final between Brazil and Argentina,
and while that will not be the case for Lionel Scaloni‘s
crop, the Copa America winners’ record in World Cup semi-finals makes for very
pleasant reading indeed.
Argentina have never been eliminated
from the World Cup in the final four and have progressed to the final every
time that they have got this far – the fifth and most recent of which came in
the 2014 tournament before their heartbreaking defeat to Germany.
Scaloni’s gallant goalscorers enter
the semi-finals having made the net ripple twice in each of their last four
matches in all tournaments – scoring in each of their last 14 in total – but
facing the staunch rearguard action of Croatia is a challenge that Messi and co
must prepare for with due diligence.
Upon Dominik Livakovic‘s
return to his homeland, the first question that the Croatia goalkeeper may be
asked will surely be about the location of his statue, as the Dinamo Zagreb
number one denied Brazil time and time again before the Checkered Ones’ penchant
for penalties came to the fore.
While Brazil were struggling to find
a way through the notoriously dogged Croatia defence, Neymar took it upon himself to break the
deadlock in the 106th minute with a wonderful goal, but Bruno Petkovic‘s
117th-minute effort found its way into the corner via a deflection to force a
12-yard battle of nerves.
Livakovic kept Brazil out 11 times
before also saving from Rodrygo in the shootout, and the Selecao
dream was dashed when Marquinhos‘s effort crashed against the post,
allowing delirium to take over for those in red and white as they celebrated a
second successive World Cup semi-final.
Dalic’s side remarkably reached the
2018 World Cup final without winning any of their knockout games in normal
time, and history is on the verge of repeating itself for the Checkered Ones,
who are now unbeaten in 11 matches ahead of their showdown with Argentina.
Croatia would be in elite company if
they can progress to the showpiece event – only Italy, the Netherlands and
Germany have ever reached back-to-back finals – and Dalic’s side can take
confidence in the fact that they have never failed to score in 10 World Cup
knockout fixtures.
Argentina and Croatia have met twice
before in the World Cup group stage, with La Albiceleste prevailing 1-0 in
1998, but the Checkered Ones secured a memorable 3-0 win over Argentina in
Russia four years ago, and several members of that team are still around to try
to make lightning strike twice in Lusail.
Team News
Card-happy referee Mateu Lahoz will not be making friends
with the Argentina and Netherlands camps anytime soon, especially with two of
his 17 bookings going to Albiceleste full-backs Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna, who are
now suspended for the semi-final.
Montiel was unlikely to challenge
Molina for the right-back berth, and Acuna will pass left-back responsibilities
over to Nicolas Tagliafico as
he takes his place on the naughty step, but Scaloni thankfully witnessed no
players pick up injuries in the 120-minute quarter-final.
Alejandro Gomez is
pushing to be available as he steps up his recovery from an ankle sprain,
while Rodrigo De Paul and Angel Di Maria –
who have both been nursing problems of their own – will expect to be fit to
start the semi-final.
Scaloni opted to match the
Netherlands’ setup with a five-man backline – bringing Lisandro Martinez back
in from the cold – but a switch to a four-man defence could see the Manchester
United man now cede his place to the fit-again Di Maria.
As for Croatia, Dalic was blessed
with a fully-fit squad for the quarter-final win over Brazil and should be
working with all of his troops for Tuesday after Borna Sosa and Mislav Orsic both
recovered from respective illnesses.
Amid his side’s well-documented
struggles for goals, Dalic brought Mario Pasalic in
from the first whistle against Brazil, and the Atalanta BC man can feel
confident of holding his position on the right wing.
Andrej Kramaric may
be fearing for his place at the tip of the attack after Petkovic’s dramatic
equaliser in the quarter-finals, but the Hoffenheim man has started every game
in Qatar so far and will likely hold his place from the off.
Argentina
possible starting lineup:
E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; Fernandez, De Paul, Mac
Allister; Di Maria, Messi, Alvarez
Croatia
possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Juranovic, Gvardiol, Lovren, Sosa; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic;
Pasalic, Kramaric, Perisic
Prediction
We say: Argentina 2-1 Croatia
(a.e.t)
Another World Cup knockout game for
Croatia, another period of extra time? Strap in. Dalic’s defenders have
performed their hearts out in Qatar so far, and Argentina did not do an
exemplary job of breaking down the Dutch before the individual brilliance of
Messi shone through.
Knowing how dangerous the Croatians
are from 12 yards, Scaloni should call upon his enviable wealth of attacking
options to try to put the game to bed in normal time, but it may take 120
minutes for La Albiceleste to deny the Checkered Ones another final appearance
and set up a tantalising contest with Morocco or France.
Source: Sports Mole
