Japan vs Croatia Live Commentary, FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Group A
1	Netherlands	3	2	1	0	5	1	4	7
2	Senegal	3	2	0	1	5	4	1	6
3	Ecuador	3	1	1	1	4	3	1	4
4	Qatar	3	0	0	3	1	7	-6	0
Group B
1	England	3	2	1	0	9	2	7	7
2	USA	3	1	2	0	2	1	1	5
3	Iran	3	1	0	2	4	7	-3	3
4	Wales	3	0	1	2	1	6	-5	1
Group C
1	Argentina	3	2	0	1	5	2	3	6
2	Poland	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
3	Mexico	3	1	1	1	2	3	-1	4
4	Saudi Arabia	3	1	0	2	3	5	-2	3
Group D
1	France	3	2	0	1	6	3	3	6
2	Australia	3	2	0	1	3	4	-1	6
3	Tunisia	3	1	1	1	1	1	0	4
4	Denmark	3	0	1	2	1	3	-2	1
Group E
1	Japan	3	2	0	1	4	3	1	6
2	Spain	3	1	1	1	9	3	6	4
3	Germany	3	1	1	1	6	5	1	4
4	Costa Rica	3	1	0	2	3	11	-8	3
Group F
1	Morocco	3	2	1	0	4	1	3	7
2	Croatia	3	1	2	0	4	1	3	5
3	Belgium	3	1	1	1	1	2	-1	4
4	Canada	3	0	0	3	2	7	-5	0
Group G
1	Brazil	3	2	0	1	3	1	2	6
2	Switzerland	3	2	0	1	4	3	1	6
3	Cameroon	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
4	Serbia	3	0	1	2	5	8	-3	1
Group H
1	Portugal	3	2	0	1	6	4	2	6
2	Korea Republic	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
3	Uruguay	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
4	Ghana	3	1	0	2	5	7	-2	3

Matches Played

Matches Won

Matches Drawn

Matches Lost

Goals For (Goals scored by a team)

Goals Against (Goals conceded by a team)

Goal Difference

Pts

Total Points

◉ Win against the 2010 champions
◉ Win against the 2014 champions
◉ Take the 2018 finalists to a shootout

Japan can hold their heads high after an incredible 2022 World Cup. 👏#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/jVxe54Q6Dh
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) December 5, 2022

That would be all for now as bring down the curtains to this LIVE commentary. Hope you had as much fun as it was bringing to you. We will be back shortly with live coverage between Brazil and South Korea. Until then, take care and ta, ta!

Croatia in extra time at the FIFA World Cup:

2018 Round of 16: Won in PKs ✅
2018 Quarterfinals: Won in PKs ✅
2018 Semifinals: Won in ET ✅
2022 Round of 16: Won in PKs ✅

This team knows how to get the job done in the knockout stage 💪🇭🇷 pic.twitter.com/Mqu7YdlZ3j
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 5, 2022

Credit goes to Croatia as they stayed patient despite conceding and capitalizing when the time came. They grew as the game progressed and showed their experience when it mattered the most. No wonder they have churned out results late in the game on so many occasions.

Japan were knocked out in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup with a 94th-minute winner in a game they led 2-0.

They were knocked out at the same stage this year on penalties.

Brutal 💔 pic.twitter.com/GI17cfbmdR
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 5, 2022

Croatia now await the outcome between Brazil and South Korea to find out their quarter-final opposition. Japan will head home with their heads high as they provided some stunning displays and were unlucky to go out in this fashion. The Blue Samarai have surely made their fans proud and will be an interesting watch as time progresses.

So unfortunate for Japan to come all this way and get beaten on penalties. That being said, Croatia showed resilience and much credit goes to Livakovic for performing amazingly in the shootout. It was a good watch for the neutrals as the 2018 World Cup finalists make it to the quarter-finals in thrilling fashion.

FULL TIME!! The game ends with a 3-1 score in the penalty shootout as Livakovic makes a hat-trick of saves for Croatia.

GOOOOALLLL!!! Pasalic scores the winning penalty to guide Croatia to the quarter-finals.

MISS!! Livakovic makes one more save as he jumps in the right direction to save Yoshida's penalty.

MISS!! Livaja takes a very casual penalty kick, only to hit the left post. Japan have a chance to close the gap.

GOOAALLL!! Asano steps up and converts Japan's first penalty. Japan trail 1-2.

GOAAALLLLL!! Brozovic scores as he hits straight in the middle. 2-0 Croatia. The game slipping from Japan's hands.

SAVE!!! Livakovic saves one again as Mitoma's shot is well saved by the Croatian goalkeeper on his lower right.

GOALL!! Vlasic steps up and scores a cool penalty. Croatia lead 1-0.

MISS!! Minamino takes a poor kick as Livakovic dives to his lower left and saves it comfortably.

Minamino steps up for Japan to take the first penalty kick of the shootout.

2 - Croatia have won both of their previous World Cup penalty shootouts (vs Denmark and Russia in 2018), while Japan have lost their only previous shootout in the competition (vs Paraguay in 2010). Nerves. pic.twitter.com/37FxulrCLp
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 5, 2022

Nervy times for both sides of fans as they gear up to support their team for the intense shootout. Japan will go first and take the first penalty kick.

6 - Each of the last six penalty shootouts at the World Cup have been won by the side shooting second. Pattern. https://t.co/HHRbA8Cx7Z
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 5, 2022

Both Croatia and Japan looked tired and lacked quality in creating chances in extra time. It all comes down to the penalties now. While Croatia have far more experience in this area, even the best players can get intimidated by the pressure of the World Cup. Let's find out if Japan can create one more upset here.

120+1' FULL TIME!! The second half of extra time comes to an end as the game heads to a penalty shootout.

120+1' CHANCE!! Majer takes a long shot and it just goes wide. The Japanese fans must have had their heart in their mouth.

Additional time: 1 minute

119' Penalties are looming large as both teams are struggling to create a clear-cut chance.

116' Borna Barisic is yellow-carded for a late tackle on Junya Ito.

115' Japan work the ball well in the Croatian box but it isn't enough to beat Livakovic.

112' Gonda punches clear the corner as the danger is averted.

111' Japan concede a corner with less than 10 minutes left. Can Croatia make something out of it?

Luka Modrić’s first World Cup match saw him come on for Niko Kranjčar in the 78th minute of Croatia’s 0-0 draw vs. Japan in 2006.

If Japan end up winning this, his last World Cup match will come 16 years later against the same opponent.
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) December 5, 2022

106' Ivan Perisic is subbed off. Mislav Orsic comes on.

106' Ante Budimir is subbed off. Marko Livaja comes on.

Japan have looked brighter than Croatia in the first 15 minutes of extra time. Morita's long-range shot was well saved by Livakovic. Can we get a later winner here or will the game go to the first penalty shootout of the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

105+2' HALF TIME!! The first half of extra time comes to an end with the score still staying 1-1.

Additional time: 2 minutes

105' SAVE!! Livakovic makes a fine save to deny Mitoma from a long-range effort. The ball was swirling in the air. Corner for Croatia.

99' Mateo Kovacic is subbed off. Nikola Vlasic comes on.

99' Luka Modric is subbed off. Lovro Majer comes on.

Extra-time specialists 👏#BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/YJhUC9Hr7I
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 5, 2022

94' Japan look better since the start of extra time but it will take something special to beat past the Croatian defenders now.

Four of Croatia's last five World Cup knockout stage games have gone to extra time:

◉ 2018 R16 pens vs 🇩🇰)
◉ 2018 QF pens vs 🇷🇺)
◉ 2018 SF extra time vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
◎ 2018 F vs 🇫🇷
◉ 2022 R16 vs 🇯🇵

Will it go all the way to penalties?#FIFAWorldCup
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 5, 2022

91' Here we go as Japan kick start the first half of the extra time.

Croatia are the experts when it comes to extra time and it is a test of Japan's patience and endurance. With experience on Croatia's side, the Blue Samarai will be hoping to kill the game in the next 30 minutes. Let us see how both teams go about their business.

After a decent first half, Japan lost their flow in the second half, allowing Croatia to grow. Lovren's cross in the box saw Perisic score with a superb header. Croatia have tested the Blue Samarai by flooding crosses in the box and we can expect the same in extra-time.

90+4' FULL TIME!! The referee blows the whistle as the game heads into extra-time with the scoreline 1-1.

Additional time: 4 minutes

90' Kovacic makes a clumsy challenge on Junya Ito and is yellow carded for the offence.

Croatia love their extra time.
5 of their last 6 knockout games at major tournaments have gone the distance. The World Cup final was the exception.
— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) December 5, 2022

87' Ritsu Doan is subbed off. Takumi Minamino comes on.

86' Pasalic meets the ball with his head from a Perisic cross but it is quite wide off the goal. Croatia still testing Japan aerially.

85' The intensity of the game had dropped in the last 15 minutes, pushing the game closer to extra-time.

The only players to score in all of the 2014, 2018 & 2022 World Cups and Euro 2016 and 2020 are Cristiano Ronaldo, Xherdan Shaqiri and Ivan Perisic.
— Richard Jolly 🇺🇦 (@RichJolly) December 5, 2022

81' Final ten minutes before the normal time comes to an end. Can any of the two teams find a winner here?

77' CHANCE!! Croatia win the ball near the half-line and Perisic does well to run with the ball. He takes a shot but it is deflected wide off the corner.

75' Daichi Kamada is subbed off. Hiroki Sakai comes on.

Croatia's equaliser means that Ivan Perisic has now scored in the last three consecutive World Cups! 🙌

One of the most aesthetically pleasing headers you'll see! pic.twitter.com/oomTmQYCJ6
— 90min (@90min_Football) December 5, 2022

68' Andrej Kramaric is subbed off. Mario Pasalic comes on.

66' CLOSE!! Budimir comes close with his header as Kramaric's shot is deflected off a Japanese defender. The substitute's header just goes wide.

64' Daizen Maeda is subbed off. Kaoru Mitoma comes on.

64' Yuto Nagatomo is subbed off. Takuma Asano comes on.

63' Tremendous SAVE!!! Luka Modric shoots fantastically on the volley and as the ball is going into the top-left corner, Gonda makes an incredible save to deny the Real Madrid midfielder.

62' Bruno Petkovic is subbed off. Ante Budimir comes on.

Ivan Peršić is the first player in Croatia's history to score 10 major tournament goals for his country.

Living legend. 🙌#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/DRrnaTQGk4
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 5, 2022

57' WHAT A SAVE!! Enzo makes a stunning effort from 25 yards out, forcing Livakovic into a fine save.

55' GOOOOAALLLL!! What a header from Perisic!! Croatia equalize unexpectedly as Lovren's cross in the box meets Perisic's head. It is an amazing header as it is timed and placed perfectly from the Tottenham Hotspur forward.

50' Japan dominating the proceedings since the restart putting Croatian on the backfoot.

Daichi Kamada's first half by numbers vs. Croatia:

100% take-ons completed
100% tackle success
31 touches
5/6 duels won
2 x possession won
2 tackles
2 take-ons
1 clearance
1 shot

Dancing around the middle of the park. 🩰#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/n4hH0sMUSH
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 5, 2022

46' CHANCE!! Kamada does well with his footwork to create space just outside the box. His shot just goes a tad high above the bar.

46' The referee blows the whistle as we are underway in the second half. No changes for either side.

Japan are so well coached and drilled. How mad is it that they've beaten Germany, Spain and are ahead against Croatia?

Easily the hardest route to the QFs of any side... 🇯🇵
— Joe Thomlinson (@joethomlinson) December 5, 2022

Japan have looked more creative and continued with their high intensity throughout the first half. Croatian look a bit off the pace and it would take something really special to come out and threaten the Blue Samarai goal. The European team probably needs more injection of pace to make a difference.

It has been an interesting half despite there not being as many goals in the match. Japan started quite positively and looked quite dangerous with their crosses in the box. Croatia did have their chances but failed to take advantage of them. The Blue Samarai eventually made a difference through Maeda, which was quite a deserving goal for the Asian team.

45+2' HALF TIME!!! Japan lead 1-0 in what has been an entertaining half.

Additional time: 2 minutes

43' GOOOOAAALLLL!!! Japan take the lead as they work out the corner so well to put the ball in a promising position in the box. The ball hits a Croatian player only to give Maeda a great chance to put the ball in the goal. 1-0 Japan.

41' MISS!! Kamadi misses a glorious chance to break the deadlock. He finds himself in space in the Croatian box and makes room to shoot but he shoots it high above the bar.

39' Petkovic and Yoshida both seem to have hurt themselves in a collision while challenging for the ball.

This #HRV side has felt slow all tournament and it’s really showing here. Struggling to punish #JPN in the channels despite openings, Lovren cannot move his feet quick enough to match these attackers, Petković’s motions take an age etc #FIFAWorldCup
— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) December 5, 2022

38' Japan have won the ball in the Croatian half quite frequently in the last few minutes but have failed to capitalize so far.

Croatia haven't won a tournament knockout game in normal time since 1998
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) December 5, 2022

28' Croatia make a flurry of crosses in the Japanese box and eventually it is Perisic's loopy header that falls in a great opposition inside the six-yard area. Unfortunately, no Croatian player well positioned to capitalize.

26' Gvardiol plays a long ball above the Japanese defense, allowing Petkovic in a good position in the box. The Croatian forward fumbles with the ball and gives away what looked like a good opportunity.

22' The Blue Samarai haven't allowed Croatia to settle as they been quite effective with their high-intense pressing.

Luka Modric has come full circle 🔄#BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/KrQc4F31Fy
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 5, 2022

18' Gvardiol is guilty of fouling Doan as the latter makes a smart turn off the ball from 30 yards outside the goal.

17' Another good chance for Japan. Nagatomo provides a fine cross with his right foot but Maeda fails to time his header.

14' Great intensity to the game already. Japan being the more creative for now with their direct approach.

12' CHANCE!! Junya Ito provides a fantastic low cross in the Croatian box but both Maeda and Nagatomo fail to reach to the end of it. A touch there would have been enough to guide it in.

Some amazing costumes on display from the Japan fans today! 😅 pic.twitter.com/HMRtu3zYfk
— 90min (@90min_Football) December 5, 2022

8' SAVE!!!! Perisic finds himself in a terrific position from a long goal-kick as he makes way in the Japanese box. He shoots straight at the keeper from a narrow-angle who somehow manages to take the ball away from the goal. What a chance!! Tomiyasu was poor there, allowing Perisic to win the ball so easily.

6' An early wake-up call for the Vatreni with that Taniguchi attempt.

Perisic is prolific for 🇭🇷 ⚽

But he's yet to score in this World Cup! 👀#BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/udTmjBfVi4
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 5, 2022

3' WHAT A CHANCE!! Japan work around well from the corner and it is set up perfectly for Taniguchi to head it home but unfortunately the ball is just wide off the goal.

2' Japan make a positive start as they win the game's first corner in the 2nd minute itself.

1' We are underway as Croatia kick-off the proceedings tonight.

Both teams are out as the kick-off is just a couple of minutes away.

🗺️ | STARTING LINEUPS

Arguably the most evenly contested Round of 16 clash is coming up, Croatia v Japan! 🤩

It's the fourth different XI at #Qatar2022 for the Blue Samurai, while left-back Borna Barišić gets his first #FIFAWorldCup minutes for Zlatko Dalić's side.#JPNCRO pic.twitter.com/6fo2C8cU9q
— Sofascore (@SofascoreINT) December 5, 2022

Will Japan once again allow the opposition to have more of the ball and yet come out as winners today?

Gibbon Kent at Zagreb Zoo has predicted Croatia will beat Japan in the 2022 World Cup last 16 tie. 🐒#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/R15aHE8J6Q
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) December 5, 2022

The Blue Samarai make two changes with Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu starting his first match of the tournament. Croatia too make a couple of changes as they bring in Borna Barisic and Bruno Petkovic.

Substitutes available for Croatia: Ivo Grbić, Ivica Ivušić, Domagoj Vida, Josip Šutalo, Martin Erlić, Mislav Oršić, Luka Sučić, Kristijan Jakić, Lovro Majer, Nikola Vlašić, Marko Livaja, Mario Pašalić and Ante Budimir.

Substitutes available for Japan: Eiji Kawashima, Daniel Schmidt, Miki Yamane, Hiroki Sakai, Hiroki Ito, Ao Tanaka, Gaku Shibasaki, Kaoru Mitoma, Yuki Soma, Takumi Minamino, Takuma Asano, Shuto Machino and Ayase Ueda.

Croatia (4-3-3): Dominik Livakovic, Josip Juranovic, Dejan Lovren, Josko Gvardiol, Borna Barisic, Luka Modric (C), Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic, Andrej Kramaric, Bruno Petkovic, Ivan Perisic.

Japan (3-4-3): Shuichi Gonda, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Maya Yoshida (C), Shogo Taniguchi, Junya Ito, Hidemasa Morita, Wataru Endo, Yuto Nagatomo, Daichi Kamada, Daizen Maeda, Ritsu Doan.

The team line-ups are out for both teams. Let's have a look at them.

Josko Gvardiol has impressed many with some fine performances in this tournament so far. Will he be able to make a difference again for Croatia at the back?

Japan have faced Croatia twice before in the World Cup. The Samurai Blue ended up losing 1-0 in the 1998 edition while in the 2006 edition, it finished in a goalless draw. Hajime Moriyasu's men will be looking to register their first World Cup victory over Croatia today.

As for Croatia, they are yet to be beaten in the tournament, having finished second in Group F. The 2018 finalists have time and again shown their capability of going a long way but they face a tricky challenge in Japan this time around.

Japan have had a stunning time in the tournament so far, after having topped Group E by beating heavyweights Spain and Germany. They have shown immense character and grit and will be looking to carry on in the same fashion today.

Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's live coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the fixture between Japan and Croatia in the round of 16. The match takes place at the Al Janoub Stadium and is the fifth match in the round of 16. The winner today will face either Brazil or South Korea in the quarter-finals.

Date & Time

05 December, Mon 08:30 PM IST

Tournament

FIFA World Cup

Stadium

Al Janoub Stadium

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