Croatia Sealed Quarterfinal Spot with 3-1 Win against Japan in Penalty Shootout

Croatia took the final lead in the nail-biting clash between Japan and Croatia in the 5th match of the “Round of 16” of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Japan lost to Croatia 1-3 on penalties after a draw of 1-1 in Al Wakrah stadium. Japan took the initial lead when Daizen Maeda, a Celtic striker, pushed the 2018 finalists on the backfoot before the break.

But Croatia made a comeback very soon with a rallied start after the break from Zlatko Dalic’s experienced men. Ivan Perisic, the Tottenham winger, levelled the scores by arriving inside the 6-yard area and hitting a goal.

And then, none of the battling teams could hit the nets, even in the extra time. But Croatia took the final lead in the penalty shootout with both the attack and defence playing their part. Mario Pasalic hit the decisive penalty while goalkeeper Dominic Livakovic saved three spot-kicks from Japan.

The winners, Croatia have a better record when it comes to penalty shootouts in the world cup. In 2018, the team registered spot-kick wins over Russia and Denmark. However, Japan lost to Paraguay in its last shootout in 2010.