Japan vs Croatia LIVE: World Cup 2022 latest score and goal updates as Shogo Taniguchi misses early chance

3 mins: Japan come down the left wing and give the ball to Daizen Maeda. He wins a free kick that Ritsu Doan whips dangerously into the penalty area.

The ball comes over to the far side of the box before getting turned behind for a corner. This is good early pressure from Japan.

Close! The corner ball is sent short then crossed in from a better angle. Shogo Taniguchi is free in the centre of the area and meets the ball with a glancing header but can only guide it wide of the left hand post!

Croatia get the ball rolling in the fifth of eight last-16 ties of the Qatar World Cup. They send a diagonal ball over to the right wing but put it straight out of play for a Japan throw in.

The players make their way out onto the pitch and sing their respective national anthems. This match is expected to be a close affair but only one team can make it through to the next round.

Who will it be? Kick off is up next…

This game is probably the hardest one to predict a winner for in all of the entire last-16. The Netherlands, Argentina, France and England were all expected to progress and they did.

Brazil, Portugal and Spain are also heavy favourites for their matches too. Either of the teams could go through this afternoon and most people would say that’s a fair result.

More surprising would be if one of them came out and dominated from the get-go. History and experience says that Croatia are the team most likely to win but Japan have already beaten Spain and Germany so will be threatening throughout.

37-year-old Luka Modric makes his 159th international appearance for Croatia today. The midfielder has appeared in four World Cups and four European Championships for his country but will Qatar 2022 be his last major competition?

“This will not be the last tournament he will play for Croatia,” said boss Zlatko Dalic. “He is professional and in good shape, you can see how he is in training, working to improve himself. It’s unprecedented.

“We will need Luka for some time more in the future.”

Japan were knocked out in the last 16 by Turkey in 2002, Paraguay in 2010 and Belgium in 2018.

The only Asian nations to reach the World Cup quarter-finals are North Korea in 1966 and South Korea in 2002, will Japan become the third nation to do so?

Croatia have lost only two of their eight World Cup knockout games with four wins and two draws. They also progressed from the two drawn matches on penalties – both in 2018.

Japan defender Yuto Nagatomo has called on his team-mates to evoke the ‘Samurai spirit’ as they aim to overcome 2018’s beaten finalists Croatia and book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

The 36-year-old insists recent improvements in tactics and technique will count for nothing unless his side continue to display the kind of fearless approach that saw them snatch a place in the knockout rounds with stunning victories over Germany and Spain to top Group E.

“I think this is a great opportunity for us to show the world how we can fight like Samurai,” said Nagatomo, now back at FC Tokyo after a career that included spells in Europe with Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Marseille.

Japan averaged only 32% possession across their three group games. Their two wins over Spain and Germany came with 18% and 26% possession respectively.

But, you’d expect Hajime Moriyasu’s side to increase that stat against Croatia today.