Sweden vs England
John Stones is continuing to dream of World Cup glory but knows Sweden presents a formidable challenge for England in Saturday's quarterfinal in Samara.
Janne Andersson's men were the first of these two sides to secure their last-eight spot with a 1-0 win over Switzerland on Tuesday, courtesy of Emil Forsberg's deflected second-half strike. A few hours later, the Three Lions banished their penalty shootout hoodoo by defeating Colombia on spot-kicks following a feisty 1-1 draw in Moscow .
After disappointing showings in the past two editions in South Africa and Brazil, England's progress to the quarterfinals has whipped the nation into a frenzy of optimism and fantasy. Stones, who impressed at the heart of defence against Colombia, is daring to dream but is wary of a supremely well-drilled Sweden side.
Russia vs Croatia
Ivan Perisic believes the current Croatia team can surpass the achievements of the famous 1998 side in its quest to win the World Cup in Russia. It has been 20 years since Croatia announced itself on the international stage after finishing third at France 98 — the country's first World Cup appearance.
Boasting the likes of Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki, Croatia stunned the world as it defeated Germany in the quarterfinals before falling to host France in the final four, though the Balkan nation trumped Netherlands in the third-place play-off match.
Now a new generation — led by Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic — has Croatia dreaming of the ultimate success following years of promise as it prepares to face host Russia in the quarterfinals in Sochi on Saturday.
- Quarterfinals: Sweden vs England, 1930 IST, Samara Arena, Samara.
- Quarterfinals: Russia vs Croatia, 2330 IST, Fisht Stadium, Sochi.
Both matches will be broadcast live on SONY ESPN, TEN 3 and TEN 2.
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