Qatar Data: Penalty shootout drama as Croatia and Argentina hold their nerve

Croatia were ready for all their opponent’s threats and when they did allow the Brazilians something during the 90 minutes of regulation time, it was nullified by their goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. Neymar put the Selecao ahead late in the first half of extra time, but the Croatians still managed to equalise and eventually advanced to the semi-finals for the second consecutive tournament thanks to two missed penalties by Brazil.

The Croatians confirmed that they are specialists in extra time - eight of their last nine matches in the knockout phases of major tournaments have gone past 90 minutes. But looking at the average position of Croatia's players in the match, you can see that this was not a classic park-the-bus defensive block. The Croatians were constantly active and didn't just sit in front of their own box.

However, they weren’t very accurate in finishing, as the equalizer in the 117th minute was their first shot on target. Let’s look at the equalizer graphically. While the Croatians were able to defend carefully for most of the game, the Brazilians just couldn't curb their offensive appetite even with the lead and this was the result. Croatia created their opportunity from just two passes, and Bruno Petkovic did not waste his chance to score.

The biggest hero for the Croatian fans will undoubtedly be their goalkeeper Livakovic. He made eleven saves against one of the tournament’s biggest favourites, and a penalty save to boot. Livakovic has already saved four penalties in shootouts at this W.C. and now shares the record in that category.

Finally, let's take a look at Neymar. He scored a wonderful goal, but it wasn't enough for the Brazilians to advance. Looking at his heat map, you can see that the reason for the Selecao’s elimination was definitely not his lack of activity. But, the Croatians, with one exception of course, found an effective recipe to stop Brazil's biggest star, who really struggled throughout the game.

See Croatia vs Brazil at Flashscore

The match between the Netherlands and Argentina also offered incredible drama. The South Americans were already two-nil up after Messi assisted the first goal with a brilliant pass and then scored the second one himself from the penalty spot. But the Dutch somehow equalised with two late goals and forced a penalty shootout. A goalkeeper again worked his magic and this time it was Emiliano Martinez, and Argentina won on penalties.

First, let's take a look at Lionel Messi's stats. He scored his tenth goal at a World Cup, equalling the Argentine record holder, Gabriel Batistuta. And in addition to his great performance, which is confirmed by the numbers, he also scored a penalty in the shoot-out.

Argentina led most of their attacks down the flanks and this strategy was complemented by the performances of their wing backs. As you can see from his heatmap, Nahuel Molina was also rewarded for his hard work with a goal. And to score his first national team goal in a quarter-final of the World Cup is quite an achievement.

Let’s stop briefly to look at the Netherlands. Wout Weghorst came on for Memphis Depay in the 78th minute and to great effect. In the end, it was Weghorst who scored the last two goals of the tournament for the Dutch. Depay, meanwhile, scored just one goal in the whole World Cup and he probably won’t be happy with his time in Qatar at all.

See the Netherlands vs Argentina at Flashscore

So the first day of the quarter-finals offered up two dramatic affairs, after which Europe and South America are tied 1-1. Can the Croatians stop Messi and co. in the semi-finals? Well, we will find that out on Tuesday! In the meantime, enjoy the football and have a great day!