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Match 53
Japan v Croatia
Japan have proven that they should not be underestimated after toppling European giants Spain and Germany, both of which were inspired comeback victories. Apart from one misstep against a defensive Costa Rica side, manager Hajime Moriyasu has been astute with his tactical changes and substitutions, bringing on attackers to great effect at key moments. Ritsu Doan has been particularly dangerous coming on as a substitute, and by now we've learned that Japan don't need the majority of possession to win any game. Look for a gear change in the second half and don't write Japan off at any stage!
Croatia looked tired in their latest outing against a resurgent Belgium, but in the end managed to hold them off thanks in part to poor finishing from Romelu Lukaku. Joško Gvardiol is in inspired form in the backline and he may be key to keeping Croatia in it, but all eyes will be on star man Luka Modrić in the engine room - he's key for transitioning into attack and can play incisive passes to cause problems for Japan. Marcelo Brozović and Mateo Kovačić are also key to controlling the midfield, while Ivan Perisic and Andrej Kramarić can make make dangerous runs into the box given the opportunity.
Croatia will be slight favourites but this could be a tight contest!
Match 54
Brazil v Korea Republic
Brazil struggled to take their many chances against Cameroon and ultimately lost to a rapid counterattack, but will take heart having one of their stars back in action. Neymar is key to moving the Brazilian attack forward and playing creative passes to put defenders under pressure - he also creates space by drawing in players or skipping around challenges.
Thiago Silva has kept A Seleção tight at the back but should be wary of a pacy Korea Republic frontline - Casemiro will need to provide cover with clever positioning to delay any semblance of a counterattack. Up top, Vinicius Jr and Richarlison have been deadly and will thrive on having their maestro back in the team.
Korea Republic overcame the odds to beat a partly rotated Portugal side in one the most emotional moments of the tournament - they'll be riding high with belief that they can achieve anything. Remarkably dynamic and energetic, Korea Republic will need to ensure Brazil don't get a lot of time on the ball to set up creative passing moves, and will likely look to hit them on transition with Tottenham star Son Heung-min providing the pace. While they may be outmatched on paper, their results show they should never be written-off.
