Netherlands v Croatia live: Malen goal puts Oranje in front

GOAL! Netherlands 1-0 Croatia (Malen) That was not coming but here it is! Dumfries delays a wide free-kick because he's got no options but the ball eventually winds up with Gakpo down the left, who works it with Simons and suddenly the Dutch have an overload in the box. The ball goes square to Koopmeiners, he slides it one more to Malen, and the finish is low, hard and true across Livakovic and into the bottom corner.

And Kramaric brings it down well, pulling off Geerturida, but hit shot is blocked. So Holland counter immediately, a long ball springing Koopmeiners down the left, and with no one inside, he tries to veers in that direction before lashing over the top from an acute angle. That was our best passage of play so far.

A good game of association football. I mean, it's not dreadful but we've yet to have a shot on target or even a sniff of one. Neither side has any attacking cohesion.

And win a corner, but Modric's delivery is poor, headed clear emphatically.

Deep inside the Croatia half. In it comes, but Van Dijk and Kovacic and playing with each other so the ref has Dumfries go again and this time Gakpo heads wide.

Already has the feel of penalties.

Following a Modric cross, and when the ball drops into the skipper's path, he lashes it home - but the flag is already up and Pasalic is booked for the challenge.

Turning Dumfries one way then t'other, nipping inside then outside down the left of the box, and his cross is blocked behind ... for another corner that comes to nowt.

I strongly fancy Spain, not because they're much cop but because I think their possession game will tell given none of the remaining sides know how to score.

Looks entirely sure how it might score. Netherlands are trying balls into space, and here's one now down the right for Malen, but his cross is too strong for all who might get on the end of it.

And Simons collects nicely, then cuts inside across his man, but his low cross is collected by Livakovic easily enough.

Applying studs to shin - gently but nevertheless. He's booked.

Burt Livakovic is out sharply to claim before he arrives.

But the ball passes him and is collected down the left by Perisic. He tries a couple of stepovers, then a low cross which is blocked behind; the resultant corner comes to nowt.

Who controls, back to the man, extending an arm to protect the ball ... and catching the defender in the gob. Seconds later, he's late on Modric, and another of those will, I imagine, see him in the book.

There's not much space in the middle.

Croatia must've identified him as Holland's key man - how astute of them - but I wonder if Modric can keep up the pressure for the 90.

He appears on the right for the second time but the ball goes left to Simons, whose cross is kicked away by Sutalo.

Knocking the ball about midfield, probing.

And Wieffer flicks a header; he wants a penalty saying it hit a hand, but it looked body to me - perhaps onto arm thereafter, but that's not an infringement.

But here they come now, Malen into Dumfries and screeching onto the return, his cross blocked behind for a corner.