We round up the key Fantasy talking points from Friday’s two World Cup quarter-finals in our Scout Notes summary.
The graphics and numbers in this article are from our Premium Members Area, which now includes all Opta player and team data from every World Cup game.
THE NETHERLANDS 2-2 ARGENTINA (3-4 PENS)
- GOALS: Wout Weghorst x2 | Nahuel Molina, Lionel Messi pen
- ASSISTS: Steven Berghuis, Tuen Koopmeiners | Lionel Messi
- PENALTY WON BY: Marcos Acuna
- PENALTY CULPRIT: Denzel Dumfries
- RED CARD: Denzel Dumfries
CROATIA 1-1 BRAZIL (4-2 PENS)
- GOALS: Bruno Petkovic | Neymar
- ASSISTS: Milsav Orsic | Lucas Paqueta
Goalkeeping heroics on Friday saw Croatia and Argentina progress to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, where the two nations will meet next Tuesday.
Both of Friday’s quarter-finals went the distance and were settled after penalties, although the victors had contrasting games.
Argentina were seemingly coasting to the last four in a match of little note bar the record yellow count, only for two late, late goals from Wout Weghorst – remember him? – to prolong the match by half an hour and more.
Emi Martinez ($5.5m) was their saviour in the dreaded penalty shoot-out, saving the first two of the Netherlands’ efforts before La Albiceleste finally secured their passage into the semi-finals.
“They played in a way I didn’t expect from them. But each team, each coach, decides how to play. I won’t speak about their football philosophy but in truth in the second half, it was an ugly game. We had no chances and it was frequently interrupted but they are allowed to play how they wish.” – Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni
Croatia, for the third match in a row, had to endure periods under the cosh and were reliant on more excellence from Dominik Livakovic ($5.0m), even before the spot-kicks.
Shot after shot came from Brazil, 21 in total, with Croatia surviving through opposition profligacy and ongoing Livakovic brilliance. The saves themselves (11 in total!) might not have been spectacular in nature but don’t underestimate the importance of the shot-stopper’s positioning as he smothered, blocked and parried his country to victory.
The two nations have contrasting defensive underlying stats heading into the semi-finals.
Argentina have allowed only one big chance all tournament, Croatia a dozen more.
Lionel Scaloni’s side have conceded only six shots on target in the whole of the World Cup, meanwhile, with Livakovic facing as many in the first hour or so of Friday’s quarter-final.
The numbers would suggest more of the same from both teams in the last four, with Argentina probing away against an obdurate backline and Croatia happy to bide their time and wait on opportune moments to pounce.
And expect more reliance on Lionel Messi ($10.5m) in games of tight margins and few clear openings: it was his superb assist for Nahuel Molina’s ($5.5m) opener that gave Friday’s semi-final the opening goal it scarcely deserved, with the PSG frontman going on to score from the spot.
A telltale sign that the stakes were and are getting high was Scaloni’s decision to match Louis van Gaal’s tactics and opt for a wing-back system, with attacking midfielder Papu Gomez ($6.5m) sacrificed for a third centre-half in the form of Lisandro Martinez ($6.0m).
Argentina will have to do without full-backs Gonzalo Montiel ($5.5m) and Marcos Acuna ($4.5m) in the semi-finals after they picked up their second yellow cards of the tournament. If the less defensively secure Nicolas Tagliafico ($5.5m) gets the nod at left-back/wing-back in Acuna’s absence, right-back Josip Juranovic ($5.0m) – Croatia’s leading chance creator of Qatar 2022 – might get some joy down that flank.
Above: Croatia players sorted by chances created in Qatar
Defensive assets from Croatia will likely be more popular purchases in Matchday 6, with the save-collecting Livakovic and the fit-again budget asset Borne Sosa ($3.5m) the stand-out targets.
Ivan Perisic ($7.5m) remains the go-to name further forward, leading his team-mates for penalty box touches, goal attempts and shots in the box in this tournament, registering three of Croatia’s nine efforts against Brazil himself.
WATCH EVERY WORLD CUP GAME LIVE IN TALKSPORT’S FAN ZONE!
