World Cup 2018 July 7 Quarterfinals Preview: Sweden Vs. England, Croatia Vs. Russia

Two of the four FIFA World Cup 2018 quarterfinals will be held on Saturday in Russia, and here is what you need to know.

World Cup: Sweden Vs. England, Croatia vs. Russia

First, Sweden and England will face off at 10 a.m. EST in Samara. England last won the World Cup in 1966. Sweden beat Switzerland 1-0 in the Round of 16 to reach the last eight, while England beat Colombia on penalties after tying 1-1 in regulation. This marked the first time the Three Lions won a World Cup game on penalties. Could they break yet another losing streak and reach the semifinals?

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

Sweden has allowed only two goals in this tournament, both to Germany in a 2-1 loss in the group stage. The Scandinavians finished first in their group. England finished second in its group with six points, having lost to Belgium 1-0 but beating Panama (6-1!) and Tunisia.

The winner of Sweden-England will face the champion of Friday’s second quarterfinal: Croatia vs. Russia, who will play in Sochi at 2 p.m. EST.

SLIDESHOW: Sports Figures Who Died In 2018

Both of these teams won their second-round games on penalty kicks. Croatia defeated Denmark 3-2 in penalties after a 1-1 tie in regulation (with both goals coming in the first five minutes), while hosts Russia stunned Spain by also beating the European powerhouse 4-3 on kicks after tying 1-1 in regulation. Russia have now reached the quarterfinals for the first time ever in the World Cup. The country had never even made it past the group stage before this year, which prompted fans to joke that president Vladimir Putin had helped the national team advance by fixing the penalty shootout. Croatia, meanwhile, won its group by winning all three of its first three games.

Article by Pablo Mena