A day of mesmeric and completely thrilling soccer has granted followers a really intriguing 2022 World Cup semi-final bout between Argentina and Croatia.
Each side progressed to the ultimate 4 with mountains of drama and penalty-shootout triumphs. La Albiceleste superior on the expense of the Netherlands, whose unthinkable comeback to make it 2-2 after additional time wasn’t sufficient to keep away from a 4-3 defeat on penalties. In the meantime, the Vatreni defied expectations to carry match favourites Brazil to a 1-1 draw after additional time earlier than beating them 4-1 from the spot.
Now we are able to look ahead to what guarantees to be an attention-grabbing conflict between the Argentines and the Croatians for a spot within the ultimate. However what does historical past say would possibly occur?
These two nations have met simply 5 occasions through the years, and the file cannot be break up. Each side boast two wins within the fixture whereas there has additionally been one draw.
As a small indicator, nonetheless, each of Croatia’s victories have come because the flip of the millennium.
La Albiceleste ran out 1-0 winners within the 1998 World Cup group stage (though Croatia did advance to the semi finals of that match whereas Argentina bowed out within the final eight), 4 years after the nations performed out a 0-0 worldwide pleasant draw of their first ever encounter.
Since then, a 2-1 Argentina victory in a 2014 pleasant has been sandwiched by Croatian triumphs. The primary of these got here in 2006 in a pleasant that ended 3-2 within the Europeans’ favour, whereas the second got here on the 2018 World Cup, the place eventual finalists Croatia earned a memorable 3-0 victory over the Argentines within the group stage.
Argentina vs Croatia H2H file
As talked about, the 2 international locations have met twice on the World Cup with the 2 conferences, 20 years aside, ending very in a different way from one another.
1998 noticed Mauricio Pineda seize the one strike of the sport as La Albiceleste beat the Vetrani to assert prime spot in Group H on the group stage’s ultimate matchday, though it is going to be their 2018 World Cup conflict that might be brisker within the reminiscence – for everybody.
A shocking 3-0 triumph courtesy of second-half objectives from Ante Rebic, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic sealed Croatian passage into the knockout section 4 years in the past, earlier than they fell to a 4-2 defeat to France within the ultimate.
An entire host of big-name gamers have scored on both aspect of this fixture.
The aforementioned 3-0 Croatian win noticed 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Modric get his title on the scoresheet in addition to Rakitic, whereas a younger Carlos Tevez netted when the edges met in a pleasant in 2006.
Shockingly, nonetheless, Lionel Messi is the fixture’s prime scorer. The Argentine is the one participant to have managed two objectives on this particular match-up. His first got here in that 3-2 pleasant loss 16 years in the past, earlier than he netted his second from the spot to safe a 2-1 comeback win when the nations met for a pleasant eight years in the past.
