Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic is dreaming of the World Cup final after scoring the winning penalty to send Croatia into the last four against Russia on Saturday. Zlatko Dalic’s side now face England in the semi-finals on Wednesday, and the winner will face Belgium or France in Sunday’s final at the Luzhniki Stadium.
Barcelona have four players left at the World Cup finals with France’s Ousmane Dembele and Samuel Umtiti, Belgium’s Thomas Vermaelen and of course Rakitic. The midfielder reckons he will probably face a Barcelona team-mate in Sunday’s final but has some bad news for France.
“When I shot the last penalty, I am thinking of my wife, my daughters, beautiful things … and all that is for them. “We want to continue to enjoy the World Cup here, it costs every meter, it has been a very long season, it’s a great time, we have an impressive group and we have to push again, we do not want to stop at the semis, I expect Croatia-Belgium in the final.”
Croatia have needed penalties to win their last two games at the World Cup and now face an England team which beat Sweden 2-0 on Saturday. Belgium and France also looks a tasty match-up with the Red Devils going into the game fresh from knocking out Brazil