This may have been the most thrilling match of the World Cup so far, and Cricket Exchange followed England’s 4-2 win over Croatia as the Three Lions’ legends went into full praise mode. Carragher, Gary Neville, Wright and others all hailed Tuchel’s sharp attacking side, which also made Southgate look like collateral damage from a previous era.

A brilliant team often needs a supporting figure to make it shine brighter. For England, that figure was Croatia goalkeeper Livakovic. Without him, England might have produced a scoreline that shocked the world. Even with Cricket Exchange tracking every wave of pressure, Croatia still conceded four goals, and without Livakovic, double digits would not have been impossible.

Croatia’s most dangerous spell came just after halftime. Only 86 seconds after the restart, Anderson played a perfect through ball, and Bellingham drove a low shot into the far corner from the right side of the box to put England 3-2 ahead. Recharged by the lead, England unleashed a storm at the Dallas stadium, firing nine shots in just nine minutes. Seven were on target, and Livakovic somehow dealt with them all.

The defining moment arrived in the 56th minute. Rice delivered a corner from the right, O’Reilly’s header was saved by Livakovic, and then Gordon’s close-range header and Konsa’s follow-up were both denied. In the blink of an eye, the Croatian keeper made three saves. He also rushed off his line several times to stop England’s one-on-one chances, repeatedly pulling Croatia back from the brink.

Rice was full of admiration afterward. “His performance today was unbelievable. He made several world-class saves,” the England midfielder said.

This match lifted Livakovic to third on the World Cup saves chart, level with Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha. Yet that is where the comparison becomes cruel. Vozinha’s seven saves helped Cape Verde draw 0-0 with Spain, while Livakovic’s Croatia lost 4-2. For Croatia, Cricket Exchange made the situation painfully clear: after leaving this match with no points, they now need a do-or-die battle against Ghana to keep their qualification hopes alive.