World Cup 2018: Croatia vs Denmark stats preview as European pair prepare for knockout battle

TOTTENHAM fans will have a vested interest in one particular World Cup last-16, aside from England vs Colombia, that is.

Croatia take on Denmark in Sunday's 7pm kick-off, as Spurs stars past and present prepare to go toe-to-toe in Russia.

Luka Modric and Christian Eriksen will headline the midfield with both sides vying for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Croatia stormed to a 100 per cent record, including a 3-0 drubbing of Argentina to clinch their spot in the last-16.

Meanwhile, Denmark went unbeaten drawing two and winning one of their games to book their place in the knockout stages.

Ahead of kick-off, we take a look at the all-important stats, facts and omens, below...

OPTA STATS

• Croatia and Denmark will be meeting for the sixth time. Their head-to-head record is perfectly balanced with two wins each and one draw.
• The only previous encounter between Croatia and Denmark in a major tournament was at Euro 1996. Croatia won 3-0 in the group stages thanks to goals by Davor Suker (2) and Zvonimir Boban (1).
• Croatia have reached the knockout stages of the World Cup for only the second time after 1998. They finished third that year, their best ever performance at a major tournament.
• Croatia have won all three of their games so far at the 2018 World Cup, which is their longest ever streak of victories in the competition. They’ve also conceded only one goal in those three games, it came from the penalty spot against Iceland.

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• Six of Croatia’s seven goals at this year’s World Cup have been scored in the second-half. Also, five of their last six shots on target have found the back of the net.
• Denmark have reached the knockout stages for the fourth time in five appearances after 1986, 1998 and 2002. However, they have gone past the round of 16 only once previously, back in 1998 when they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Brazil.
• Denmark have scored only two goals in their last three games. However, their four matches in the knockout stages of the World Cup have produced 19 goals (7 scored, 12 conceded), an average of 4.75 per game.
• All 29 of Denmark’s goals at the World Cup have been scored from inside the box.

• If Luka Modric plays against Denmark, he’ll equal Darijo Srna as the Croat with most appearances at major tournaments (18 across World Cup and European Championship). In his 17 previous appearances, he has scored four goals (including two at World Cup 2018) and delivered only one assist (against Turkey at Euro 2008).
• Christian Eriksen is the only Danish player to have had more than one shot on target so far at the 2018 World Cup (4). He’s scored 13 goals and delivered five assists in his last 16 games for Denmark.
• Kasper Schmeichel saved 12 of the 13 shots on target he faced in the group stages, only conceding one goal (from a penalty). He has also already kept more clean sheets for Denmark at the World Cup (2 in 3 games) than his father Peter (1 in 5 games).