World Cup 2018: Russia face Croatia in quarters, plus build-up to Brazil – live!
Brazil will face Mexico later on Monday, in the fifth tie of the last 16. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA
In the second of today’s two last-16 encounters, a ridiculously talented Belgium team take on Asia’s last standing representative Japan. As one of just three teams with a 100% record in Russia (Uruguay and Croatia are the others), Belgian expectations that were already sky high have only crept even further upwards. And in Eden Hazard, they have a player who can be a genuine world beater. The Chelsea man is certainly full of confidence ahead of the encounter in Rostov-on-Don.
To today’s games then, and first up its Brazil-Mexico and the potential for another upset. The Seleção have hardly hit top gear yet in Russia, but as Nick Ames reports, there’s a feeling in the Brazil camp things are beginning to fall into place. Quite what they get from Neymar, though, remains open to conjecture.
And what of Juan Fernando Quintero? “I’m not fat; I just have a big arse,” he once quipped to fend off constant hounding by the South American press about his weight at one point in his career. Now, Colombia’s hopes against England rest in part on the midfielder’s shoulders, after a sterling start to the tournament that has left his coach Joseé Pekerman heralding him as a genius. That and more in this fascinating profile of the player by Carl Worswick.
Read more on https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2018/jul/02/world-cup-2018-russia-face-croatia-in-quarters-plus-build-up-to-brazil-live
This post is from https://www.theguardian.com
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