Argentina and Croatia will battle for a place in the 2022 World Cup final when they meet at the Lusail Stadium in Doha on Tuesday, August 13, kick-off at 19h00 GMT.
Argentina reached the semi-finals after beating Netherlands 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after a turgid extra-time clash in Doha.
Lionel Scolani’s men have shown tactical flexibility, athleticism, speed, and fine defensive discipline in their campaign, and they will fancy their chances of claiming victory in the Qatar capital city.
Croatia were impressive in the group stages but were forced to dig deep against Japan and Brazil in the last 16 and quarterfinals respectively, playing out draws after extra time before advancing on penalties.
Zlatko Dalic ’s side continues to boast one of the strongest midfield remaining in the competition, but the physical toll of back-to-back two-hour marathons will be a worry for ‘The Blazers’ as they attempt to win their first World Cup title.
Argentina will be welcoming both Angel Di Maria and Rodrigo De Paul would be fit for the clash but they will be without the services of suspended Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel.
The match will pit two of the greatest to wear a number 10 jersey against each other, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Croatia’s Luca Modric vying to be crowned champion for the first time.
In head-to-head, Argentina and Croatia have met five times before in all competitions with two wins each and a draw. It is also an even record in the World Cup, with Argentina winning 1-0 in the group stages in 1998 and Croatia claiming a 3-0 success in their pool in 2018.
