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Rabat – Croatia’s national football team qualified today for the Qatar World Cup’s semi-finals after defeating Brazil in a penalty shootout.
Neither of the teams managed to break the deadlock and score a goal during the original time of the match.
Possession of the ball was evenly split between the two teams throughout the match, with both squads displaying a solid tactical performance.
Determined to extend their stay in Qatar, both sides could not get through each other’s strong defense in the first 90 minutes.
However, Brazil broke the 0-0 tie during the first half of extra time after Neymar scored a goal in stoppage time. With the goal, Neymar tied with Pele as the highest scorers in Brazil’s history.
Croatian striker Burno Petkovic scored the equalizer for his team in the 117th minute.
With the game going on to a penalty shootout, Croatia was able to shut down two of Brazil’s penalties but scored theirs, granting them a place in the semi-finals
Brazil were the early favorites to clinch a win during today’s game. Opta analysts indicated that the Latin American squad had a 68% chance of winning.
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“Despite getting to the final in Russia, Croatia have been handed only an 11.5% of victory,” Opta Analyst added.
The game marked the World Cup’s opening quarter-finals match, as Argentina and the Netherlands are set to lock horns today at 8:00 pm GMT+1 at Lausail Stadium in Qatar.
In addition, Morocco’s Atlas Lions will face off against Portugal tomorrow at 4:00 pm GMT+1, while France will go head-to-head with England at 8:00 pm GMT+1.
The tournament’s semi-finals will take place on December 13 and 14, with the four qualifying teams beginning their quest for the World Cup final.
