World Cup 2022: What to Expect on Day 20

Starved of festive football for two days, the World Cup returns with a bang on Friday as tournament favourites Brazil look to book their place in the semi-finals.

Brazil strolled through the last-16 encounter with South Korea to book their place in the quarter-finals, while it was the complete contrast for Croatia who were taken to extra-time and penalties by a determined Japan outfit.

Later on Friday, the evening kick-off sees the much-fancied Dutch come up against the magician, Lionel Messi and Argentina.

The winners of Friday's two quarter-finals will meet in Tuesday’s semi-final at the Lusail Stadium.

The 2018 World Cup finalists, Croatia, stand in the way of Tite's boys from Brazil, following their penalty shoot-out victory over Japan in the round of 16.

Brazil, had no such issues, as they waltzed, and in fact samba’d, their way past South Korea in the last round, storming out of the blocks to take a 2-0 lead inside 13 minutes, then taking a 4-0 lead into the break.

Tite’s side could really have doubled that tally but eased down through the gears in the second half to record a 4-1 victory.

Croatia will, no doubt, feel the effects of that extra-time encounter against Japan ahead of this one, and it was noticeable that key players like Luca Modric and Mateo Kovacic did not last the entire game, which suggests that fatigue could well prove a major factor in Friday’s game - both sides have good grounds to complain when compared to the teams in the day's other quarter-final.

One Croatia player, however, who will be brimming with confidence coming into this game will be goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic, who proved the hero in the penalty shoot-out, saving three out of four spot-kicks to see his side progress.

And the Dinamo Zagreb