Spark missing but Croatia still advance to quarter-finals

Soccer Football - World Cup - Round of 16 - Croatia vs Denmark - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia - July 1, 2018 Denmark's Kasper Schmeichel saves a penalty by Croatia's Josip Pivaric during the shootout REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia (Reuters) - Croatia showed none of the spark that marked their romp through the group phase but still did enough to edge Denmark in their round-of-16 clash on Sunday and ensure they will take on Russia in the World Cup quarter-finals next weekend.

They triumphed 3-2 on post-match penalties after a 1-1 stalemate at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, having squandered a chance to wrap up the match five minutes from the end of extra time, though they had come back after conceding in the first minute.