Croatia joins France in the final

Twenty years after their only World Cup clash, in the semi-finals, Croatia will return to France on Sunday at 5 pm to try and win their first world championship title. They will arrive with a day off less than the Blues, and the equivalent of one more match in the legs (3 extra). England will face Belgium on Saturday in the match for third place.

Trippier's masterpiece

However, everything started badly for Luka Modric and the Croats. The brilliant playmaker was guilty of an avoidable foul at the entrance to the area on Dele Alli. Kieran Trippier did not let slip the opportunity and scored a superb shot under the helm of Danijel Subasic, helpless, to the delight of English fans.

It was the ninth English goal in a stopped play phase, out of the 12 entries in the competition. He was celebrated, like all of them, in London.

The English, more dangerous throughout the first period could have even doubled the bet, but the positions of offside Harry Kane (22 ^e and 30 ^e ) and the lack of precision of Jesse Lingard, (36 ^e ) did not give anything. Opposite, despite Ante Rebic's many attempts on the right-hand side, the Croatians never seemed to be in a position to endanger a well-placed and applied English team.

Croatian comeback

Visibly exhausted the Croats showed themselves incapable of defeating the English defense. The far-off strikes of Ante Rebic and Ivan Perisic did not find the frame or were countered (65 ^e ). As for Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, they struggled to weigh in.

While it was almost impossible to imagine a Croatian return, Ivan Perisic came ahead of Trippier and Walker on a center from Sime Vrsaljko for equality (68). ^e ).

The same Ivan Perisic passed a few millimeters from the double on a superb sequence, but his shot, slightly crossed too, found the post (71 ^e ). Rebirthed, the Croats made the English defense suffer which managed to repel the centers and anticipate the opening of Rakitic towards Mandzukic.

Finally found in the back of the defense, Mario Mandzukic chained control and strikes, but he found only the Pickford gloves. Opposite, the English had one last round of ammunition at the end of the match: a free kick, as they like them so much at the entrance of the surface, but Kane could not fit, as if it were written that this match had to go into overtime.

Mandzukic, hero of the nation

Ereintés, like Strinic released for cramps (93 ^e ), the Croats, who played their third extension consecutively, seemed below, at least physically. On his line, Sime Vrsaljko saved a sublime head of John Stones, who took the way to the skylight (99 ^e ).

In the wake of this, it was Pickford who made the most important stoppage of his career by winning against Mario Mandzukic, who had thrown himself in his legs (105 ^e ).

Three minutes later, the Croatian striker took advantage of a deflection of Perisic to escape the English scoring, cross a powerful shot and register his second goal of the World Cup, synonymous with qualifying for the final. At 10, after Trippier's injury and with no change remaining, the English had two good free kicks, but they failed to react.

As in 1990, England failed at the gates of the final. Croatia, meanwhile, has three days to recover before playing the biggest game in its history.