Japan, who topped Group E, will face Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final in the Round of 16.
The Samurai Blue will find their opportunities, though, and are brimming with confidence having beaten both Germany and Spain at this World Cup, with the only loss coming to Costa Rica.
Croatia has yet to show their best football, drawing with Morocco and Belgium but proved they are capable of scoring plenty of goals in a 4-1 win over Canada.
But with memories of the heartbreak of 2018 still fresh in Croatia’s minds, they will be determined not to miss out on another World Cup opportunity.
Japan vs Croatia Score
| Team | 1H | 2H | Final |
| Japan | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Croatia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Goals:
JAP – Meda – 43 min
CRO – Perisic – 55th min
Confirmed lineups:
Japan confirmed lineup (3-4-3, right to left): 12. Gonda (GK) — 16. Tomiyasu, 22. Yoshida, 3. Taniguchi — 14. Ito, 6. Endo, 13. Morita, 5. Nagatomo — 8. Doan, 25. Maida, 15. Kamada.
Croatia confirmed lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Livakovic (GK) — 22. Juranovic, 6. Lovren, 20. Guardiol, 3. Barisik — 10. Modric, 11. Brozovic, 8. Kovacic — 9. Kramaric, 16. Petkovic, 4. Perisic.
Japan vs Croatia Live Updates, 2022 World Cup Highlights
Full time: Japan 1-1 Croatia
That was a bit of a scratch at the end, but we’ll now have another 30 minutes of glorious World Cup Soccer and there’s nothing wrong with that.
90 min: Four minutes added when Mateo Kovacic picked up his first booking of the game for a late challenge on Ito.
86 min: Perisic delivers a cross to the far post but Pasalic can’t get a clean header on it under pressure from two Japanese defenders.
Takumi Minamino comes for Doan.
85 min: Scrappy from both sides as Ando crunches into another tackle and fails to win a corner from Perisic Tomiyasu as the tie heads into extra-time.
80 min: Mitoma feeds a clever ball into Tomiyasu, but the Arsenal defender gets his feet in the mess, and his square ball is cleared.
75 min: Croatia now looks to ease through the gears as Perisic shoots wide of Gonda’s post. Another change for Japan was Hiroki Sakai replaces Kamada.
67 mins: Almost a perfect effort from Budimir as Andrej Kramaric’s cross is headed back to him in the box but he can only head wide!!
Kramaric has since been replaced by Mario Pasalic.
63 min: MODRICCCC
Croatia start to pick up the pace now as their skipper heads one up from 25 meters but Gonda dives to clear him out.
62 min: Changes for both teams as Ante Budimir comes on for Petkovic and Takuma Asano and Kaoru Mito replaces Maeda and Nagatomo.
61 min: Pressure at both ends as Livakovic gathers away Nagatomo Perisic’s threat and Eto’o’s weak effort.
57th minute: Japan hit back almost immediately as Ando goes wide but Livakovic sees it all the way and tips it over the bar.
55th minute: Croatia are level!!!
Out of nowhere………..Croatia is level!!
Croatia play a keep-ball in midfield, as Lovren whips a deep cross into the box, and Perisic steals his man to head home a brilliant leveller!!
Start the game!
51st minute: Croatia are going for a direct approach to try and get themselves back into the game. Petkovic wants a penalty, as he fights for a high ball inside the Japan box, but the referee isn’t interested.
46th minute: We’re back!!
Japan are 45 minutes away from making World Cup history…..but can the 2018 finalists respond?
No changes at the break for either side as Kamada hits a long-range effort well over the bar.
Half time: Japan 1-0 Croatia
Japan played really well, moving the ball quickly, running aggressively, and with greater imagination than Croatia. The second half should be a belter.
45 min There will be two more minutes, and the co-commentators, taking the mick out of how much time was added earlier are a disservice to the game and also to the fans who paid to attend. We see a lot less football every 90 minutes, and there should be more pressure to keep the game going, not bad comments.
44 min There’s a VAR check for offside, but it’s clear!
Goal! to Japan 1-0 Croatia (Meda 43)
Japan has earned it! I’m really impressed with their short corner – it’s not often we see any good – but what happens here is it goes to Doan, he goes to Morita, and when the ball comes back, he curls. Lovely cross to the far post, where Yoshida’s challenge makes it square and Maeda heads home from close range!
42 min: Almost a mix-up for Croatia as Juranovic heads Ritsu Doan’s cross in front of Livakovic.
40 min Croatia won a free kick when Yoshida fouled Petkovic, injuring himself in the process. However, the ball is weak, and Japan counter at pace, recycling when they don’t find the ball to tell immediately, then Ito backheels, and Kamada collects, a good first touch and clever chop giving him a shooting chance on the left. Box … but his floaty curler floats over the bar. Japan is very sharp and cohesive in the attack.
38 min: Luka Modric’s deep free kick is cleared and Eto’o breaks for Japan….Maeda fights to keep the ball alive and finds Kamada…but his off-balance effort misses!!
33 min We haven’t seen much attacking from Japan in the last 10 minutes, but they don’t seem to mind, as the more Croatia attack, the more open they are to counter.
26 min Come on Croatia, Guardiola’s hopeful ball is missed by Yoshida and Petkovic is released! He turns left into the box, and Perisic is screaming for a cut-back and Krameric is screaming for a square pass… so he hangs on to it until the defenders close in, before nutmegging the latter, predictably. results.
24 min A foul on Guardiola gave Croatia a free-kick 40 yards from goal and he went ahead. Modric curls the free-kick into the middle of the box – I don’t know what he’s aiming for there – but it’s not cleared properly, and from the edge, Gvardiol – with a decent angle and little time – finds an angle. A seemingly impossible height given the speed of the ball and the size of his body.
22 min: Croatia is slowly getting into the game, as Guardiola fires over from the edge of the box, and Bruno Petkovic crowds the Japan box.
19 min This time, Doan tips a shot from 35 yards, then dives into the box and Croatia clears. The tempo of this game is similar to that of the excellent Nut Kosher.
18 min Japan play in Doan, who sees Guardiola coming and gets a body between man and ball, with the inevitable flattening. Free-kick Japan…
16 min Croatia knock about it, Lovren lofting the ball into the inside-right channel, Modric – how did it get the energy to go down there? – Controlling, while running, with the chest-shoulder junction. He is penalized for handball, which seems very harsh to me.
12 min: Modric tried to pick his way through the center of Japan’s defense but his pass was intercepted and Japan made it, Meada stealing away from Lovren after passing Eto’o out with a sensational low cross. Slide … Then Nagatomo, at the back post, is fouled by Juranovic trying to get the ball inside. Japan made two really good chances here, and it’s already a good game.
8 min: Croatia……….close to 1-0!!
Takehiro Tomiyasu tried to play the ball back to Shuichi Gond and Ivan Perisic pounced inside the box. However, the Tottenham star takes his mind too long, and it’s a straight save for Japanese goalkeeper Gonda.
4 min Croatia, though, is like a boa constrictor, slowly strangling the opposition until they can’t breathe. They will not be surprised by anything in it; Six of his last seven tournament knockout games have gone to extra time.
3 min Croatia tries to play and Maida moves to Livakovic, almost robbing him! This is a really nice and intense debut from Japan.
1 min Maida goes forward down the left and Juranovic fouls him, so Japan has a chance to stick the ball into the box…
Japan vs Croatia lineup, team news
After finding a winning formula against Spain, Japan will be forced to make at least one change for this match, with Kou Itakura suspended following his second yellow card last time out. Miki Yamane or Takehiro Tomiasu as his possible replacements.
Ritsu Doan scored against Spain after replacing Takefusa Kubo at halftime and could be favored from off as a result of his influence.
Japan confirmed lineup (3-4-3, right to left): 12. Gonda (GK) — 16. Tomiyasu, 22. Yoshida, 3. Taniguchi — 14. Ito, 6. Endo, 13. Morita, 5. Nagatomo — 8. Doan, 25. Maida, 15. Kamada.
Zlatko Dalic has used the same starting XI in the last two games and it’s hard to see him making any changes for this one.
Croatia also come into this game without any known injuries or suspensions.
Croatia confirmed lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Livakovic (GK) — 22. Juranovic, 6. Lovren, 20. Guardiol, 3. Barisik — 10. Modric, 11. Brozovic, 8. Kovacic — 9. Kramaric, 16. Petkovic, 4. Perisic.