In two consecutive World Cup matches that Croatia won on penalties, goalkeeper Livagovic was a key player. The 27-year-old shield of steel managed to save three penalties against Japan in the Round of 16, and against Brazil in this Round of 8, he blocked another Lodi Gorgos shot, making a record total of four penalties in two matches.
Prior to the penalty shootout, Leverkusen Highwick had already made a number of saves. According to SofaScore, the 5-foot-87 goalkeeper finished the match with 11 successful saves, including eight in the 90 minutes of legal time, to help keep his team's clean sheet going into extra time.
In overtime, Leverkusen Highwick once again showed bravery, making three consecutive saves on dangerous shots, totaling 11 saves in the entire match, unmatched since 2014, when U.S. goalkeeper Hou Houwood set a record of 15 saves against Belgium in the Round of 16.
Leverkusen Highfield was elected as the best player and deservedly so. It is worth mentioning that the Croatian team will face Argentina in the semi-finals, while the Argentinean goalkeeper Damien Martinez also successfully saved two penalties against the Netherlands in the last eight. The two goalkeepers will then start a penalty shootout, who is the real "penalty killer"?
