Sunday July 1st

Round of 16

Spain lose Russian roulette

Russia 1 Spain 1(Russia win on penalties) (Moscow)
Hosts Russia are through to the quarter-finals after beating Spain on penalties. A Spanish free-kick crossed into the 6-yard box in the 11th minute went in off a Russian defender who was wrestling Sergio Ramos, but 5 minutes before the break Russia were awarded a penalty for hand-ball and Artem Dzyuba fired home with de Gea going the wrong way. Russia held on in the second half and Akinfeev got down to his right post to keep out a shot from Iniesta in the 85th minute and take the match to extra time. In the 109th minute, Rodrigo sold his marker a dummy and ran at goal from the right but couldn't beat Akineev with his shot across goal. In the penalty shootout, with the first penalties converted by Iniesta, Smolov, Pique and Ignashevich, Akinfeev saved from Koke and after Golovin, Ramos and Cheryshef had also converted their spot kicks, Aspas fired down the centre and Akinfeev saved with his trailing foot to send Russia through and Spain out against all odds.

Round of 16

Schmeichel can't save Danish bacon

Croatia 1 Denmark 1 (Croatia win on penalties) (Nizhny Novgorod)

Croatia beat Denmark on penalties despite Kasper Schmeichel saving a penalty in extra time and 2 in the shootout. The Danes got off to flying start, when after only a minute, a long throw-in fell to Mathias Jorgensen who stabbed the ball past a crowd of players and in under the keeper, but Croatia hit back 2 minutes later when a clearance in the box hit a Danish player and fell to Mario Mandzukic who buried it past Schmeichel. In the 29th minute, Schmeichel fisted away a shot from Rakitic and kept out the follow up from Rebic at the near post before getting in the way of Perisic causing him to blast the rebound over the bar. In the 42nd minute, Eriksen's innocuous-looking lob shaved the angle of the bar and post and with no clear-cut chances in the second half, extra time was needed. With 5 minutes of extra time remaining, Rebic raced towards goal and rounded the keeper, but with the empty goal at his mercy was brought down by Jorgenesn. Modric stepped up, but Schmeichel dived to his left and smothered his spot kick. In the penalty shootout Eriksen took the first penalty and hit the post with a slight touch from Subasic while Schmeichel saved from Badelj, and with Kjaer, Kramaric, Krohn-Dheli, and Modric all scoring and Schone and Pivaric having their spot-kicks saved, when Subasic got a leg to Jogensen's penalty, it was left to Rakitic who sent Schmeichel the wrong way and Croatia into the quarter finals to meet hosts Russia.