Croatia Beats Brazil on Penalties in World Cup Quarterfinals 

(FromL) Croatia's defender #22 Josip Juranovic, Croatia's defender #06 Dejan Lovren, Croatia's midfielder #10 Luka Modric, Croatia's midfielder #13 Nikola Vlasic, Croatia's goalkeeper #12 Ivo Grbic, Croatia's defender #05 Martin Erlic, Croatia's forward #17 Ante Budimir, Croatia's forward #18 Mislav Orsic and Croatia's midfielder #04 Ivan Perisic celebrate with their supporters after they won the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between Croatia and Brazil at Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha, on December 9, 2022. (AFP)
(FromL) Croatia's defender #22 Josip Juranovic, Croatia's defender #06 Dejan Lovren, Croatia's midfielder #10 Luka Modric, Croatia's midfielder #13 Nikola Vlasic, Croatia's goalkeeper #12 Ivo Grbic, Croatia's defender #05 Martin Erlic, Croatia's forward #17 Ante Budimir, Croatia's forward #18 Mislav Orsic and Croatia's midfielder #04 Ivan Perisic celebrate with their supporters after they won the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between Croatia and Brazil at Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha, on December 9, 2022. (AFP)
TT
20

Croatia Beats Brazil on Penalties in World Cup Quarterfinals 

(FromL) Croatia's defender #22 Josip Juranovic, Croatia's defender #06 Dejan Lovren, Croatia's midfielder #10 Luka Modric, Croatia's midfielder #13 Nikola Vlasic, Croatia's goalkeeper #12 Ivo Grbic, Croatia's defender #05 Martin Erlic, Croatia's forward #17 Ante Budimir, Croatia's forward #18 Mislav Orsic and Croatia's midfielder #04 Ivan Perisic celebrate with their supporters after they won the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between Croatia and Brazil at Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha, on December 9, 2022. (AFP)
(FromL) Croatia's defender #22 Josip Juranovic, Croatia's defender #06 Dejan Lovren, Croatia's midfielder #10 Luka Modric, Croatia's midfielder #13 Nikola Vlasic, Croatia's goalkeeper #12 Ivo Grbic, Croatia's defender #05 Martin Erlic, Croatia's forward #17 Ante Budimir, Croatia's forward #18 Mislav Orsic and Croatia's midfielder #04 Ivan Perisic celebrate with their supporters after they won the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between Croatia and Brazil at Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha, on December 9, 2022. (AFP)

Croatia knocked Brazil out of the World Cup on Friday, beating the five-time champions 4-2 in a penalty shootout to reach the semifinals for the second straight time. 

Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved a penalty attempt by Rodrygo and Marquinhos later hit the post. 

The match had finished 1-1 after extra time, with both goals coming in the additional 30 minutes. Neymar scored late in the first half of extra time to give Brazil the lead, but Croatia equalized when Bruno Petkovic scored in the 117th. 

Neymar’s goal moved him into a tie with Pelé as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals. 

Croatia will next face either Argentina or the Netherlands to try to return to the World Cup final four years after losing the title to France. 

Five of Croatia's last six matches at World Cups have gone to extra time, including in its penalty shootout win over Japan in the round of 16 in Qatar. The team has been successful in eight of its last 10 knockout matches at the tournament. 

Brazil was trying to return to the semifinals for the first time since 2014. The team hadn’t made it to the last four since hosting the tournament eight years ago, when the Selecao was embarrassed by Germany 7-1. 

Brazil was trying to defeat a European opponent in the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time since the 2002 final against Germany, when the team won for the last time. 



Man City’s Title Defense on Life Support Ahead of Liverpool Match

Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Newcastle United - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - February 15, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Newcastle United - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - February 15, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Action Images via Reuters)
TT
20

Man City’s Title Defense on Life Support Ahead of Liverpool Match

Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Newcastle United - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - February 15, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Newcastle United - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - February 15, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Action Images via Reuters)

Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City will host league leaders Liverpool on Sunday searching for victory that could resurrect their season, but perhaps without their most important player.

Striker Erling Haaland has 19 league goals this season, but he may not be healthy in time to try to add to his total.

Haaland, who sustained a knee injury late in City's 4-0 win over Newcastle United last weekend, already missed the team's 3-1 loss at Real Madrid on Wednesday in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout round series. However, manager Pep Guardiola didn't completely rule out the Norwegian marksman.

"Don't know yet. (Saturday) we will know," Guardiola said Friday. "It's better to have Erling on the pitch. ... Everybody is responsible for the good things and bad things for the team, but obviously with Erling we are better."

Regardless, Manchester City (13-7-5, 44 points) did add some key reinforcements during the winter window, most notably Omar Marmoush, who scored a hat trick in the first half of the Newcastle win.

And while a miracle surge to catch Liverpool (18-1-7, 61 points) is unlikely, it wouldn't be completely impossible with a win that would narrow the gap to 14 points and kept City with a match in hand.

Having received a bye to the UCL round of 16, Liverpool spent its midweek grappling to a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa in a fixture rescheduled from March 15 because of the Reds' run to the Carabao Cup final.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring with his 24th goal to reach his highest league total since he registered 32 during his 2017-18 debut Premier League campaign. Trent Alexander-Arnold's 61st-minute tally leveled affairs for good.

However, a rearguard that began the season in such stalwart fashion under first-year boss Arne Slot has now conceded five goals in the last three matches while settling for only five points in that span.

Slot is also well aware that this version of City is a much improved one from that which the Reds defeated 2-0 in early December.

"I can see them coming back already if you look at the result against Newcastle," Slot said. "So what you expect is what everybody expects if you go to the Etihad (Stadium) if you play against City. You have to suffer as well and work really hard to keep them away from your goal because they are so, so good in ball possession. But they face a strong team as well that hasn't lost for 22 games (in the Premier League)."