RUSSIA VS CROATIA
Venue: Fisht Olympic Stadium
Date: Saturday, July 7
Kick-off: 7pm
Russia form: Saudi Arabia and Egypt were well beaten and many thought Russia's heavy defeat against Uruguay showed their true colours. Solid enough but lack the individual brilliance to trouble the best sides. Their mammoth effort against Spain in the round of 16 saw such a resilient display that penalties were needed. Igor Akinfeev then saved twice in the shootout to send the hosts through.
Croatia form: Coming into the knockout stages they were the tournament's form side after coasting past Argentina and Nigeria before showing their depth as their second string beat Iceland. An organised and tidy Denmark team took them all the way to penalties but Danijel Subasic produced three sublime saves to seal progression.
Key match-up: Aleksandr Golovin vs Luka Modric
Not necessarily direct rivals on the pitch but you would think whichever play maker has the more influential game would lead to their team having a better chance of winning. Modric is the linchpin for Croatia while Golovin's unbelievable energy against the Spaniards set the tone for the hosts' emphatic upset.
Verdict: Croatia on penalties
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