Croatia into quarter-finals with penalty shootout win

Goals: Mandzukic 4' - Joergensen 1' (Penalty: 3-2)
The match got off to a flying start with two goals in the first four minutes. A powerful throw-in from Jonas Knudsen saw centre-back Mathias Joergensen take advantage of the chaos to open the scoring just before the first minute. However, Croatia responded immediately with a well-timed finish from Mario Mandzukic.

This was only the second time in World Cup history that a match had two goals in the first four minutes. It seemed like the excitement would be maintained and dedicated by both teams, but tightness prevented Croatia and Denmark from scoring more goals in the remaining minutes. Croatia created a number of dangerous chances in the first half but it was Denmark who almost scored when Christian Eriksen's shot hit the crossbar.

Joergensen opened the scoring for Denmark...

... before Croatia had a response from Mandzukic. Photo: FIFA

The second half saw both teams being cautious and there was no chance that could force goalkeepers Subasic and Schmeichel to show their skills. It was not until extra time that the turning point appeared. Ante Rebic ran down and passed goalkeeper Schmeichel but a moment of slowness allowed Joergensen to rush in and foul. Standing on the penalty spot, Luka Modric could not beat Schmeichel to end the match.

The fear of Croatian fans after Modric missed a penalty was evident in the shootout. In the first round, Schmeichel made a brilliant save to deny Milan Badelj after Eriksen had also failed to beat Subasic. The Danish goalkeeper also saved another shot from Josip Pivaric in the fourth round but Schmeichel's excellent effort was not enough to see his team through. Subasic was the better goalkeeper with two more successful saves, before Ivan Rakitic finished in the final penalty.

Croatia's win over Denmark secured their place in the quarter-finals and will face hosts Russia, who also advanced thanks to a penalty shootout win over Spain. Denmark, meanwhile, were eliminated despite not losing a single game in the second half. The Nordic side played with a solid and disciplined game that left Croatia virtually deadlocked despite being rated much higher before kick-off.

Luka Modric missed a penalty in the final minutes of extra time.Image:Reuters

The match between Croatia and Denmark had a dramatic start and end beyond many people's expectations. Croatia was rated higher while Denmark had a solid playing style, making many people believe in a one-sided game. However, the Nordic players surprised everyone by playing proactively, whether playing defense or counterattacking.

Croatia had no trouble gaining possession of the ball thanks to a strong midfield, but Denmark did not give up and made their opponents wary in every attack. Their weakness was that they did not have quality strikers to create real pressure, so the chances mainly came from Eriksen and the midfielders.

Meanwhile, Croatia, despite retaining many key players in the final group stage match, showed signs of running out of steam. The team played well in the first half but began to slow down in the second half and extra time. In return for their physical strength, the class of the players helped Croatia maintain a solid game. In a flash of brilliance, Modric would have ended the match early if he had not missed a penalty kick.

Modric's mettle was later proven when he stepped up to take the third penalty kick in the shootout. This time the Croatian captain defeated Schmeichel, bringing great encouragement to him and the whole team. This is very meaningful in the upcoming journey of the Croatian team.

Subasic's excellent saves in the penalty shootout. Photo: FIFA, EPA