Croatia beat Japan 3-1 on penalties to reach quarters
Dominik Livakovic of Croatia celebrates victory during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Japan and Croatia at Al Janoub Stadium on December 5, 2022 in Al Wakrah, Qatar.Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was the hero, saving three penalties in the shootout, as Croatia edged past Japan with a 3-1 victory to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
After a 1-1 draw at extra time, Livakovic kept out the first two efforts before stopping Maya Yoshida’s kick, then Mario Pasalic tucked his penalty into the corner to take his side through.
Zlatko Dalic’s side, beaten in the final by France four years ago, will face tournament favourites Brazil or South Korea in the next round on Friday (15:00 GMT).
Japan were the livelier side and took a deserved lead two minutes before half-time when C...