Friday at the World Cup: Messi's day of reckoning

Louis van Gaal’s last dance meets Lionel Messi’s final tilt but there’s another angle: a proper test. Neither have had much in their way to get to this point.

TIME TO SHINE: Argentina's Lionel Messi. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Fixtures (all times Irish)

Quarter-final, Croatia v Brazil, Education City Stadium, 3pm: For their next trick? It may have amounted to just a quarter of their last 16 showdown with Korea, but the 25-minutes circus spell when Brazil showed that Tite’s side can live up to most of the vaunted predecessors from an attacking perspective. We wait to see if that status extends to the rest of the team but things look very good right now. Croatia found a way to slow the Duracell Japanese down to their own walking pace and then strode on from the penalty spot. Croatia’s strength lies in midfield where Brazil have kept things sparse so far.