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Brazil are the favorites to win the World Cup and they showed why in their Round-of-16 dismantling of South Korea. But a wily Croatia side that advanced to the 2018 final promises to make life difficult for the Selecao in their Friday quarterfinal showdown.
The Brazilian attack was clicking again with Neymar’s return to the lineup in the 4-1 win last time out. The Paris Saint-Germain star was back after an ankle injury to orchestrate another dazzling display with Brazil scoring all their goals by halftime.
It promises to be a different story for an unchanged side against Croatia, who will believe they can contain Brazil in a similar fashion to fellow European sides Switzerland and Serbia, though they both still suffered narrow losses in the group stage.
The conventional thinking around Croatia entering the tournament was that the core of the team is four years older and therefore a step slower. But they held up fine over 120 minutes against Japan in the previous round, advancing on penalties despite fielding the oldest starting lineup in a World Cup knockout match since 2006. They will relish proving the sceptics wrong again, just like they did in 2018.
Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights for Brazil vs Croatia at the 2022 World Cup. Follow below for complete results from the quarterfinal match in Qatar.
MORE: Best bets | Match referee | Brazil-Croatia history
Brazil vs Croatia live score
1H | 2H | Final | |
Brazil | — | — | — |
Croatia | — | — | — |
Goals:
None
Projected lineups:
Brazil (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Alisson (GK) — 14. Eder Militao, 4. Marquinhos, 3. Silva, 2. Danilo — 5. Casemiro, 7. Paqueta — 11. Raphinha, 10. Neymar, 20. Vinicius Jr — 9. Richarlison
Croatia lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Livakovic (GK) — 22. Juranovic, 6. Lovren, 20. Gvardiol, 19. Sosa — 10. Modric, 11. Brozovic, 8. Kovacic — 9. Kramaric, 14. Pasalic, 4. Perisic.
MORE: Watch every World Cup match live with fuboTV (U.S.-only free trial)
Brazil vs Croatia live updates, highlights from 2022 World Cup
30 mins from kickoff: Let’s dwell a little more upon that surprise Pasalic selection. The attacking midfielder has thrived in Gian Piero Gasperini’s freewheeling Atalanta attack, which means he should be well suited to his role. On the other hand, he tends to operate a little more deeply for the Serie A side and has scored just once in 14 top-flight appearances this season.
1 hr from kickoff: Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic is a surprise inclusion in the Croatia XI. That means Dalic’s men look likely to operate with a false nine, giving them a better chance of controlling central areas.
This is how #Croatia starts against Brazil in the #FIFAWorldCup quarterfinals! 🥁 #CROBRA #Qatar2022 #Family #Vatreni❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/qzWBs6dOhB
— HNS (@HNS_CFF) December 9, 2022
1 hr 10 mins from kickoff: Brazil are unchanged. The team that performed with such fantastical swagger against South Korea get the chance to do it again.
1 hr 30 mins from kickoff: It’s not just their proclivity for extra time that means Croatia have got through a lot of work. Can a Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic-inspired side tickle these numbers to fine effect?
🇭🇷 Croatia are proving their worth yet again on the biggest stage:
◉ Most ball recoveries (261)
◉ Most entries into the penalty area (145)
◉ Most crosses attempted (95)😉 And the joint-most penalty shootout wins (1). #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/jmzercvl4C
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) December 9, 2022
2 hrs from kickoff: Here’s a little more from Zlatko Dalic.
🇭🇷 Croatia’s Manager Zlatko Dalić believes they can ‘stand up’ to Brazil in their Quarter Final clash.
🤔 Can Croatia overcome Brazil today?#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/z9MfTiIGIq
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) December 9, 2022
2 hrs 30 mins from kickoff: Perhaps Brazil are banking on an ageing Croatia being tired. You’d think Zlatko Dalic’s side will run out of gas at some stage but the 2018 finalists are masters when it comes to going the distance.
Seven of Croatia’s last eight major tournament knockout matches have gone to extra time. They’ve won all four of those matches at the World Cup, with the Japan triumph their third in succession on penalties..
3 hrs 15 mins from kickoff: They might be the World Cup’s most celebrated superpower, but Brazil have a bit of a curse to lay to rest today. Since lifting the trophy for a fifth time in 2002, they have lost all of their knockout games against European opposition (France in 2006, Netherlands in 2010, Germany in 2014 and Belgium in 2018). Throw in the third-place playoff defeat to the Dutch in 2014 and it’s a 0-5 slump that Tite is looking to snap.
4 hrs from kickoff: A moment of magic won it for Brazil when these two sides met in the 2006 World Cup group stage. That came courtesy of Kaka.
Brazil vs Croatia World Cup 2006
A great goal by Kaka 🇧🇷pic.twitter.com/vW2RHVOh2o
— Vintage Football Shirts (@VFshirts) December 8, 2022
4 hrs 30 mins from kickoff: What better way to whet the appetite ahead of Brazil vs. Croatia than with a Neymar highlight reel. Enjoy:
A criatividade do Neymar é absurda. O jogo dele evoluiu muito quando foi jogar com mais espaço, maior raio de ação. O Tuchel teve importância nisso, “oficializou” o que já acontecia na prática, esse 10 total. É o tipo de jogador que cria a dependência.pic.twitter.com/nhHA7PYTFZ
— Leonardo Miranda (@leoffmiranda) December 9, 2022
5 hrs from kickoff: If you’ve watched enough World Cup games, you’re probably good at distinguishing the stadiums by now. But you probably didn’t get this kind of tour of Education City.
Education City Stadium looks ready to host 🇭🇷 vs 🇧🇷
🏟️ Come, take a tour!#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/BGVSzn1PkO
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 9, 2022
5 hrs from kickoff: Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has said that he wants to replicate the compact defending Switzerland executed against Brazil despite the fact that the Swiss ultimately lost that match 1-0.
“Brazil are the fastest and best team at this World Cup. We must not leave them too much space,” Dalic told media in the lead-up. “If we play wide we’ll have great problems. But on the other hand we know that when they lose the ball they have high pressing and if they do not take control of the ball in the next couple of seconds they have problems, so we’ll try to take that into account. Our concentration must not fail us.”
The theme from Croatia camp is clear. Brazil are better, but…
Longtime Croatia captain Luka Modrić is fully aware that Brazil is the favorite and that’s just fine with him! 😤🇭🇷 pic.twitter.com/K60kfhXlPz
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 9, 2022
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalić today 🎙🇭🇷
“Brazil is the strongest & best team in the tournament. When you look at the players, the breadth and quality, it’s scary. Brazil are favorites, they have confidence, a great atmosphere, top players. But I believe we can stand up to them.” pic.twitter.com/buwYb392k9
— AllThingsSeleção ™ (@SelecaoTalk) December 7, 2022
Brazil vs Croatia lineups, team news
Although he did make it through training with the team, Brazil left-back Alex Sandro (hip) is expected to sit out a third straight match with right-back Danilo moving over to take his spot and Eder Militao operating again at right-back. Gabriel Jesus (right knee) and Alex Telles (right knee) are the only other injury absences for Brazil.
Eder Militao is one of three Brazil players on yellow card warning together with Bruno Guimaraes and Fred. One more yellow card in this game and they’d sit out a potential final.
Brazil (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Alisson (GK) — 14. Eder Militao, 4. Marquinhos, 3. Silva, 2. Danilo — 5. Casemiro, 7. Paqueta — 11. Raphinha, 10. Neymar, 20. Vinicius Jr — 9. Richarlison
MORE: Even Brazil’s coach Tite was dancing after goals vs. South Korea
Borna Sosa has recovered from the illness that kept him out against Japan, and he will take over from Rangers’ Borna Barisic at left-back. But creative Dinamo Zagreb attacker Mislav Orsic has reportedly caught the bug and sat out the last training session. He’s expected to be available off the bench.
The big question for Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic was in attack, and specifically who starts alongside left-winger Ivan Perisic and right-winger Andrej Kramaric: The centre-forward spot looked to be between Marko Livaja, Bruno Petkovic or Ante Budimir but Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic got the nod to operate as a false nine.
Josip Stanisic (muscle) missed the last match, but is available again, while Marcelo Brozovic was also back in training after getting an extra day of rest. The Modric-Brozovic-Kovacic trident in central midfield is untouchable, but Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic are one yellow card away from suspension, as is centre-back Dejan Lovren.
Croatia lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Livakovic (GK) — 22. Juranovic, 6. Lovren, 20. Gvardiol, 19. Sosa — 10. Modric, 11. Brozovic, 8. Kovacic — 9. Kramaric, 15. Pasalic, 4. Perisic.
MORE: Why is Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol wearing a mask?
Brazil vs Croatia live stream, TV channel
This quarterfinal match between Croatia and Brazil will be played at the Education City Stadium.
Here’s how you can watch all the action in some of the major global territories.
Date | Time | TV Channel | Streaming | |
USA | Fri, Dec. 9 | 10:00 ET | Fox, Telemundo |
fuboTV, Fox Sports site/app, Telemundo Deportes site/app, Peacock |
Canada | Fri, Dec. 9 | 10:00 ET | TSN 1, RDS (French) | TSN site/app, RDS app |
UK | Fri, Dec. 9 | 15:00 GMT | BBC One | BBC iPlayer, BBC website |
Australia | Sat, Dec. 10 | 02:00 AEDT | SBS | SBS On Demand |
India | Fri, Dec. 9 | 20:30 IST | Sports18 | Voot, JioTV |
Hong Kong | Fri, Dec. 9 | 23:00 HKT | Now TV (Ch. 616, 618) | Now TV |
Malaysia | Fri, Dec. 9 | 23:00 MYT | Astro FIFA World Cup 1 | Astro GO |
Singapore | Fri, Dec. 9 | 23:00 SGT | StarHub FIFA World Cup, Singtel FIFA World Cup 141 |
Singtel TV GO, CAST, StarHub TV+, MeWatch |
New Zealand | Sat, Dec. 10 | 04:00 NZDT | Sky Sport 7 beIN Sports | Sky Go, Sky Sport NOW |