Croatia send Denmark out of World Cup after penalty shootout win in last 16

There are some matches in which the spectre of penalties begins to loom with indecent haste. Everybody knew where this last-16 showdown was heading from an early point in the second half – possibly even sooner – and yet it might have needed only a single penalty.

The second period of extra time was rumbling to its seemingly inevitable conclusion when Luka Modric finally picked a pass and, all of sudden, Ante Rebic was clean through. He rounded Kasper Schmeichel and was brought down by the chasing Mathias Jørgensen. Penalty. Modric took it but his composure deserted him. The kick was too close to Kasper Schmeichel and he pulled off the save. And so the match proceeded to the full version, the fate of these nations coming down to the time-honoured test of nerve.

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