Business picks up at the World Cup this weekend, as the final eight teams battle for a place in the semi-finals. Brazil has been one of the standout nations at the competition to this point, and they will face Croatia for the right to play either Argentina or the Netherlands on Tuesday.
World Cup 2022 Preview
The pressure will be stepped up a gear on Friday, as Tite’s Brazil look to continue their charge toward a first World Cup final since 2002. Brazil has been one of the standout nations throughout the competition to this point, winning three of the four games that they have played. They saved their best performance of the competition for their round of 16 showdown against South Korea on Monday, as they thumped the Asian nation 4-1.
It was a Samba performance of old from the typically reserved Brazil these days, as they scored a stunning four goals in the opening 36 minutes. Vinicius Jr set the tone after just seven minutes, before Neymar marked his return to the starting eleven with the second goal. Richarlison continued to show why he is leading the Brazil front-line with another contender for goal of the tournament before the half-hour mark, while Lucas Paqueta scored an excellent volley to seal Brazil’s spot in the last eight.
Brazil will come up against Croatia in the quarterfinals on Friday, and it is fair to say that they have enjoyed their fair share of luck to reach this stage. They have won just once in 90 minutes in four fixtures at the World Cup, and have failed to score in two matches.
In truth, they were hugely fortunate not to have been knocked out in the previous round, as Japan was more than deserving of a victory in the round of 16. However, the determination and experience of this Croatian side came to the forefront, as they battled back from a goal down, before sealing a place in the quarterfinals with a third penalty shootout success in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
Croatia vs Brazil Head to Head
This will be the fifth meeting between Brazil and Croatia in all competitions. Brazil is unbeaten in their previous four, winning on three occasions. The latest of those wins was a 2-0 friendly success in June 2018.
Croatia vs Brazil Prediction
This could be a long night for Brazil given Croatia’s record of having gone to extra time in seven of their eight knockout fixtures in major tournaments. However, we really struggle to see past the South American giants being able to get the job done on Friday.
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