Spain's midfielder Sergio Busquets (L) heads the ball with Russia's defender Mario Fernandes during the Russia 2018 World Cup round of 16 football match between Spain and Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 1, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / YURI CORTEZ / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO MOBILE PUSH ALERTS/DOWNLOADS MOSCOW, Russia — Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev stepped up as Russia beat 2010 winner Spain on penalties to set up a World Cup quarterfinal clash with Croatia, which survived its own spot kick drama on Sunday.

Spain totally dominated the match at Luzhniki Stadium here, hogging 74 percent of possession, but created few clear-cut chances and buckled under pressure when it mattered most.

Veteran goalkeeper Akinfeev saved penalties from Koke and Iago Aspas as Russia won the shoot-out 4-3, to reach the Last Eight for the first time since 1970 when it was still playing as Soviet Union.

The unlikely victory sparked emotional scenes as the rain poured down and there was jubilation in central Moscow with disbelieving locals cheering, waving flags, blowing horns and yelling “Russ-i-a!”

There was more penalty drama in the later match in Nizhny Novgorod, with Croatia coming out on top 3-2 just minutes after Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel saved a penalty at the end of extra time.

Five spot kicks were saved during the nail-biting shoot-out, two by Schmeichel and three by Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic.

Earlier, Mathias Jorgensen gave Denmark the lead after just 58 seconds but Mario Mandzukic leveled the match for Croatia in the fourth minute and the sides remained locked at 1-1 at the end of extra time.

Russia is the lowest-ranked nation in the tournament — a lowly 70th in the world — and was not expected to progress beyond the first round but it now finds itself in the quarterfinals.

“We were hoping for penalties,” Akinfeev said after the match ended 1-1 after extra time, following a Sergei Ignashevich own goal and an assured Artem Dzyuba penalty.

“We are having a fantastic World Cup. Not just our fans, but the fans of other countries are getting a sense of this atmosphere and understood that Russians really know how to play football and want to play football.”

Russia came into the tournament derided by its own supporters after a string of defeats in warm-up matches but it thrashed Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the opener and swept aside Egypt 3-1, making even its own skeptical public believe.

The result is a disaster for the Spaniards, whose preparations for the World Cup were wrecked when their manager Julen Lopetegui was sacked on the eve of the tournament after he took the vacant Real Madrid coach’s job.

Spain shipped five goals in its three group matches and there were major questions over the form of goalkeeper David de Gea coming into the knockout phase.

Hierro rejected any suggestion the team would have fared better had the Spanish federation not decided to axe Lopetegui after arriving in Russia.

“We had opportunities to win this match but we ended up in a penalty shootout which is basically a lottery, and we weren’t lucky,” he said. AFP