World Cup semi-final as it happened: Argentina progress with Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez inspirational

FULL-TIME: Argentina 3 Croatia 0

Argentina are in the final! Messi magnificent again in his last dance. Alvarez with a great centre-forward display. A step too far for Croatia. Morocco or France await in the final, that match tomorrow.

It was the attackers that won it, two brilliant dribbles by Messi and Alvarez. Watch this great Messi moment again. Only one match away now from following in the footsteps of El Diego Maradona and their first World Cup since 1986.

Good night from me, join us tomorrow for Morocco against France.

90 mins: Croatia trying for a consolation goal. Mayer has been lively since he came on but his long shot is blocked and straight to the keeper’s hands. Disappointing day for Croatia, but they should be proud to make the semi-finals after making the final last time.

86 mins: Lovren with a chance for Croatia, Perisic flicks on the corner but Lovren kicks with his right clumsily and misses the ball.

82 mins: Modric comes off for Mayer, the past for the future of Croatia. A step too far for Modric today, although it’s the forwards that have won the game rather than the midfielders. Quick free-kick for Argentina and Mac Allister almost scores, his shot just wide.

78 mins: Gvardiol may have been against the greatest but he’s had a tough night tonight, a lot of people have said he was the best defender of the tournament but him and Lovren have been tormented by Messi and Alvarez.

74 mins: Ken Early called well this performance by Argentina earlier in the tournament:

“If Argentina have the most mesmerising attack in the World Cup, it’s because in the combination of Alvarez and the otherworldly Messi, they have brought together the best of the new world and the old, organisation and mystery, modernity and magic.”

Modernity and magic, indeed from Messi and Alvarez tonight.

[ Ken Early: Argentina’s Alvarez and Messi combine to unleash modernity and magic on World Cup ]

Perisic takes one from 35 yards from a free-kick but straight at the keeper. Subs, De Paul comes off for Palacios, and Alvarez off for Dybala. A forgotten man of the Argentina squad.

71 mins: GOAL FOR ARGENTINA! Magic Messi does it again, an amazing assist. He turns Gvardiol inside out, down the wing, shimmies him, breaks through, pulls it back, easy goal for Alvarez. A classic World Cup moment.

69 mins: Yellow card for Romero for flying into Petkovic in the middle of the pitch. Silly enough booking.

66 mins: Great dribble by Messi, still unmatched for taking players out of the game with a short burst. Croatia get the ball but Argentina counter, Alvarez across to De Paul but nothing happens. Alvarez then fouls Modric.

62 mins: Modric with a good dribble but he’s fouled by Paredes. Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez comes on for Parades, as has been the usual for Argentina in this tournament around this time, a move to three at the back. Good chance for Croatia! Lovren wins the header but can’t direct it on goal and a bit of panic but it’s cleared.

59 mins: Good save by Livakovic after Messi causes serious problems to Croatia and Gvardiol, weaving his way through and then a one-two but a decent save at his front post.

56 mins: Mac Allister plays a lovely ball over the top to Alvarez who gives to Fernandez but Gvardiol gets in an important tackle.

53 mins: Another change for Croatia as Bruno Petkovic comes on for Brozovic. Good passing by Croatia, particularly Kovacic, but they can’t create a good chance as a cross is easily collected by the keeper.

50 mins: Mac Allister with some good play and puts in Messi in the middle of the pitch, Messi loses it but Mac Allister immediately wins it back. Parades then takes a long shot but straight at the keeper.

47 mins: Changes for Croatia to try to get back into this one. Perisic goes left back as Sosa comes off for Orsic. Vlasic is on for Pasalic and immediately wins a dangerous free-kick. Not a great ball by Modric though and Martinez the keeper easily collects.

HALF-TIME: Argentina 2 Croatia 0

The game looked to be heading the way of the Brazil game for Croatia, frustrating the opposition with some nice possession. Then one ball caught Lovren out, Alvarez won the penalty which was perfectly dispatched by Messi, then Alvarez scored with a superb solo goal. The Manchester City forward was the man of the half. Croatia with a lot to do to find a way back into this one.

Watch Alvarez’s goal again:

48 mins: Perisic puts in a poor cross, Croatia haven’t offered much in attack despite some good midfield play. Dancing around Croatia by Messi, flicks it past Brozovic, then shimmies him and wins a free-kick. It’s half-time though.

45 mins: Messi’s corner goes straight at the keeper powerfully and Livakovic needs to save. Later, Croatia go down the pitch as Modric’s shot is blocked then goes to Pasalic, whose cross causes Martinez a few problems but eventually ends up on the sidenetting.

43 mins: Argentina are buzzing now. Messi breaks through and plays to the wing and ends up with De Paul shooting and claiming a penalty for handball. The corner goes straight to Alvarez, brilliant save by Livakovic, then it comes off Juranovic and nearly goes in the net! Argentina all over them.

39 mins: GOAL FOR ARGENTINA! Julian Alvarez with a superb solo goal after some terrible defending. Short Croatia corner is wasted and Alvarez just keeps on going. Just runs in a straight line really as Croatian defenders fall around him and he sneaks it past the keeper.

34 mins: GOAL FOR ARGENTINA! Lionel Messi scores! Drills the penalty into the top corner. Brilliant pressure penalty. Messi’s 96th goal for Argentina and his 11th in the World Cup. The first great chance of the game.

PENALTY FOR ARGENTINA! Yellow card for Livakovic, Alvarez gets around Lovren and is through on goal but is taken out by the keeper.

31 mins: Modric skins Mac Allister, Croatia play it down the wing and Perisic tries a cheeky chip over the keeper from the edge of the box but it’s just over.

28 mins: Messi dispossessed by Kovacic who rides past three or four tackles while driving forward in typical Kovacic fashion. Kramaric is then fouled about 30 yards from goal. Modric’s cross into the box goes nowhere. Argentina counter and De Paul crosses into the box... but Luka Modric is back to head away. Some hustle there.

26 mins: Great pass in behind for Fernandez and he gets the cross in but there’s nobody there. Then the ball comes out and Argentina work it in and Fernandez gets a shot away at the keeper, decent but comfortable save for Livakovic.

23 mins: Messi has been well marked so far, Messi makes a nice break but his pass can’t find the forward. Kovacic runs up the pitch and looks for a foul but ref waves away. Argentina have a chance after Livakovic doesn’t clear but bad touch by Messi.

21 mins: Croatia competing very well again, that midfield is formidable and Argentina are finding it difficult to get a hold on the game. But defensive possession, without really taking too many risks or making too many attacking runs. Not a classic so far.

17 mins: Modric weaves his way through and plays in Juranovic who wins a corner. It ends up at the back post with Lovren and he heads it over, as Lovren and Romero classh heads. Romero gets treatment.

15 mins: Alvarez tries to play in Messi but the referee is not interested, the Argentina-majority crowd is not happy. Lovren nearly finds Juranovic from a long ball but good defending by Argentina.

13 mins: Great interplay by Croatia, nine or 10 nice passes in a row win another throw near the sideline. They keep the ball for another minute but Brozovic is dispossessed and Modric fouls Mac Allister.

10 mins: Cagey opening to this one, yet to be a chance of note. Croatia win the ball high up the pitch and Perisic takes the long throw but it’s cleared.

7 mins: Croatia sitting back a bit more than against Brazil, Argentina trying a few longer balls over the top but unable to create a good opening yet. Romero makes a crunching tackle but the referee lets it go, as is the standard of this tournament so far.

3 mins: Early possession for Croatia but Lovren gives it away. Ball over the top and right-back Molina gets in behind but there’s nobody there in the box.

Head to head: Quite an even head to head in history between Argentina and Croatia, two wins apiece and a draw. Most notably though, Croatia beat Argentina 3-0 in the last World Cup, while Argentina beat Croatia 1-0 in the 1998 World Cup.

Now it’s time for the anthems.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni says his team have worked out where to hurt Croatia. “I won’t mention the key players or their strengths and weaknesses but we’ve analysed where we can hurt them. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t,” Scaloni told reporters. With a change back to a back four and Parades back in midfield, will be interesting to see where he thinks that is. Croatia will likely play their usual 4-3-3 possession-based game, with their wonderful centre midfielders, which frustrated Brazil.

[ Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni says his team have worked out where to hurt Croatia ]

There was no doubt who the hero was for Croatia against Brazil, goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who banishes the jitters to become Croatia’s man for the big moment, with several saves in normal time and some key penalty shoot-out saves. A heart-to-heart with Luka Modric helped turn the once-brittle goalkeeper into a penalty-saving hero. Read here:

[ Dominik Livakovic banishes jitters to become Croatia’s man for the big moment ]

Preview: Croatian manager Zlatko Dalic in dreamland again as Croatia welcome underdogs’ tag, writes Ken Early, in a preview to today’s game. Dalic portrayed Tuesday night’s semi-final as “the small Croatia” against “the great Argentina, led by Lionel Messi”. Argentina fans, both Argentine and international, will vastly outnumber the Croatian supporters at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. It will feel like a home game for Messi’s team, but Croatia will seek to turn the imbalance to their advantage. According to Dalic, all the pressure is on Argentina.

[ Dalic in dreamland again as Croatia welcome underdogs’ tag ]

Team news: Tagliafico and Parades are in the line-up for Argentina, replacing Acuna and Lisandro Martinez, as they go back to 4-4-2 shape it seems. Croatia are unchanged from their victory over Brazil on Friday.

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez, Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Otamendi, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Tagliafico, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Parades, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez

Croatia: Dominik Livakovic, Josip Juranovic, Dejan Lovren, Joško Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Mario Pasalic

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the World Cup semi-final, Argentina against Croatia from the Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Two of the greatest players of the modern era, Lionel Messi and Luka Modric, lead their sides with a place in the World Cup final for the second times in their careers up for grabs. Both lost in the decider (2014 for Messi, 2018 for Modric) and will be determined to make that right and get their hands on the trophy. Kickoff is at 7pm.

@DavidGorman20