Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was the hero, saving three penalties in the shootout, as Croatia edged past Japan after a 1-1 draw to reach the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarter-finals.
The Russia 2018 runners-up held their nerve and won the penalty shootout 3-1 as Livakovic kept out the first two efforts before stopping Maya Yoshida's kick, then Mario Pasalic converted the vital effort to take his side through.
At the end of full-time play, the teams were locked one-all and the 30 minutes of extra time also failed to break the deadlock.
The Samurai Blue started badly in the penalty shootout with Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitoma unable to beat Livakovic, while Marko Livaja's effort hit the post, it did not make much of a difference as Livakovic proved outstanding in the Croatian goal.
Earlier, Croatia came back from a goal down to draw level through Ivan Perisic. The 33-year-old's 55th-minute equaliser was his sixth goal at the World Cup and the first one in Qatar taking his individual tally of international goals to ten.
Japan Left No Stone Unturned, but Lacked Precision in Penalties
Japan proved beyond any reasonable doubt that they are capable of giving any side a strong game and looked dangerous on the break. They were the livelier side and took a deserved lead two minutes before half-time when Celtic forward Daizen Maeda wherein a whipped cross bounced around in the box and fell to Maeda, who got to the end of the cross to give Japan the much-deserved lead.
Ten minutes after the resumption, Croatia equalized when Perisic unleashed a brilliant powerful header, off Dejan Lovren's cross, into the bottom corner with incredible precision.
Thereafter, neither side could find a breakthrough and the game ticked into the additional 30 minutes of extra time, with Brighton midfielder Mitoma's spectacular strike pushed over by Livakovic.
At the other end, Marko Livaja's flicked header looked to be looping in, but Shuichi Gonda managed to gather and Lovro Majer dragged a shot in the 120th minute.
The contest went to nerve-shredding penalties, where Livakovic emerged as the man to lead Croatia's celebrations.
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