DOHA: Brazil were gearing up for a showdown with Croatia while Argentina prepared to face the Netherlands as anticipation mounted Thursday on the eve of the World Cup quarter-finals.
After three weeks of pulsating action, just eight teams are left standing as the 32-nation tournament heads into the final rounds of knockout competition after a two-day break.
A blockbuster set of quarter-finals gets under way on Friday when five-time champions Brazil face 2018 runners-up Croatia.
That clash is the appetiser for another heavyweight World Cup collision between Lionel Messi’s Argentina and three-time losing finalists the Netherlands.
On Saturday, Morocco will carry the flag for African football in their quarter-final clash with Portugal before holders France face England in an eagerly anticipated showdown.
Wins for Argentina and Brazil on Friday would set up a titanic semifinal between the two South American heavyweights.
For now though Brazil are looking no further than Friday’s assignment against Croatia at the Education City Stadium in Doha.
“They have individual quality and collective quality as well as a resilience and persistence,” Brazil coach Tite said of Croatia.
“We are aware of their virtues but my focus is on maintaining our standards and whoever plays best will go through.”
Croatia captain Luka Modric said Thursday that his side were determined to progress beyond the last eight.
“We did a great thing by going to the quarter-finals, but regardless of that we would like to do more,” the Real Madrid midfielder said.
“We have to play our best match. And if we do that we have a chance of winning.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is optimistic that Angel Di Maria and Rodrigo De Paul will be available for his side’s clash against the Netherlands after injury issues.
His opposite number, Louis van Gaal, back in charge of the Dutch for a third spell, said his team would have to step up a gear to compete with the South American side, who beat them on penalties in the 2014 semifinal in Brazil.
“The tournament is actually starting tomorrow for real for us, although of course I don’t want to downplay the importance of other countries we were able to beat,” he said.
“But Argentina and Brazil, who we will possibly play in the next round, are quite different to the teams we beat in the group stage and last 16.”
On Saturday, all eyes will be on the battle between France and England at the Al-Bayt Stadium, the Bedouin tent-inspired structure located in the desert outside Doha.
England said Thursday that forward Raheem Sterling is set to return to the squad after initially leaving the team’s World Cup base following a break-in at his family home.
Sterling did not feature in England’s squad for the 3-0 last-16 win against Senegal and it would be a major surprise if the 28-year-old starts against France.
In Saturday’s other quarter-final, buoyant Portugal will be looking to end Morocco’s fairytale run to the last eight.
Portugal produced one of the most scintillating displays of the tournament by dismantling Switzerland 6-1 in the last 16 after coach Fernando Santos opted to drop Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s replacement, 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos, fired a brilliant hat-trick as Portugal ran riot.
According to reports in Portugal, Santos’s bombshell decision to drop Ronaldo prompted the 37-year-old superstar to threaten to walk out of the team camp.
But Ronaldo took to social media to stress the squad was rock solid after the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) issued a statement denying the reported bust-up with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star.
“It’s a group too united to be broken by outside forces,” said Ronaldo.
“A nation too courageous to let itself be frightened by any adversary. A team in the truest sense of the word, which will fight for the dream until the end.”
Elsewhere on Thursday, Spanish football authorities dismissed coach Luis Enrique following the team’s shock elimination against Morocco, naming under-21s boss Luis de la Fuente as his replacement.
“Both the president, Luis Rubiales, and the sporting director, Jose Francisco Molina, have told the coach their decision,” the Spanish federation (RFEF) said in a statement.
World Cup braces for quarter-finals as Spain sack coach
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World Cup braces for quarter-finals as Spain sack coach
- A blockbuster set of quarter-finals gets under way on Friday when five-time champions Brazil face 2018 runners-up Croatia
- On Saturday, Morocco will carry the flag for African football in their quarter-final clash with Portugal
Arsenal get title boost as Man City and Villa both drop points
- Second-placed City remain five points behind Arsenal who can stretch the lead to eight if they beat Liverpool on Thursday
- Third-placed Villa are also five behind after they could only draw 0-0 in a dour contest at Crystal Palace
- Antoine Semenyo gave Bournemouth fans a farewell gift before his expected move to Manchester City, scoring in stoppage time to give his side a 3-2 victory at home against Tottenham
LONDON: Arsenal’s Premier League title prospects were enhanced without them even kicking a ball on Wednesday as their closest challengers Manchester City and Aston Villa both dropped points.
Erling Haaland scored his 150th goal for City as he put them in front against Brighton and Hove Albion from the penalty spot but Kaoru Mitoma equalized for the visitors on the hour with the game finishing 1-1.
It was the third successive draw for stuttering City who were held by Sunderland on New Year’s Day and by Chelsea at the weekend when they also conceded an equalizer.
“The result is the result. I’m not a person who believes what we have done isn’t fair,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
Second-placed City remain five points behind Arsenal who can stretch the lead to eight if they beat Liverpool on Thursday.
Third-placed Villa are also five behind after they could only draw 0-0 in a dour contest at Crystal Palace, Ollie Watkins going closest for Villa with a late effort against the woodwork.
Chelsea’s new manager Liam Rosenior watched on in the stands at Craven Cottage as his new club went down 2-1 at Fulham after having Marc Cucurella sent off midway through the first half.
Raul Jimenez gave Fulham the lead and although Liam Delap equalized for the visitors, Harry Wilson sealed the points for Fulham. Defeat left Chelsea down in eighth place.
Sesko scores twice
Two days after sacking manager Ruben Amorim, Manchester United could only draw 2-2 at 19th-placed Burnley.
Benjamin Sesko scored twice for United, doubling his tally for the season, but it was not enough to give caretaker manager Darren Fletcher a win as Jaidon Anthony’s equalizer earned Burnley a point. United slipped to seventh.
Brentford moved into fifth spot as Brazilian striker Igor Thiago followed up his hat-trick at the weekend against Everton with two goals in a 3-0 home victory over Sunderland to take his league tally for the season to 16.
“He’s a complete center forward,” said Brentford manager Keith Andrews. “I wouldn’t be swapping him for anybody.”
Newcastle United trailed three times in a thriller at home to Leeds United but emerged with an astonishing 4-3 victory to move into the top six thanks to a last-gasp goal by Harvey Barnes after Bruno Guimaraes had equalized for the hosts from the penalty spot in the 91st minute.
Barnes’s goal arrived in the 102nd minute, the latest winning goal in Premier League history.
Bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers’ recent upturn continued with a 1-1 draw at Everton.
Everton ended the game with nine men after Michael Keane, who scored their goal, and Jack Grealish were both sent off late on — Keane for an apparent hair pull on Tolu Arokodare.
‘No man deserves it more’
Antoine Semenyo gave Bournemouth fans a farewell gift before his expected move to Manchester City, scoring in stoppage time to give his side a 3-2 victory at home against Tottenham Hotspur, his side’s first win in 12 league games.
“That was the type of stuff you write in movies and no man deserves it more than him,” Marcus Tavernier said of his soon-to-be former teammate.
Semenyo illustrated just why City are prepared to pay £65 million ($87.46 million) for his services with a curling shot past Guglielmo Vicario sparking wild celebrations.
City have won the title six times in the last eight seasons but their hopes of reclaiming it after being dethroned by Liverpool last season are beginning to look forlorn.
They produced a lacklustre attacking display against Brighton but Haaland’s penalty, after a foul by Diego Gomez on Jeremy Doku, looked like earning them a victory that would have put some pressure on leaders Arsenal.
But Brighton struck back as Mitoma guided in an equalizer from the edge of the penalty area.
Haaland should have won it for City late on, but fired a shot straight at Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.
To make matters worse for City, Guardiola said Savinho will be out for two months with an injury, adding to an absentee list that also includes defenders Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones.
