The teams will meet in Sochi later on Sunday (4am AEST).

Croatia beat Denmark 3-2 on penalties in their Round of 16 match in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday, while Russia have reached their first-ever World Cup quarter-finals since the break-up of the Soviet Union after defeating Spain 4-3 also on penalties after the match finished  1-1 after extra time.

"I think we should play according to our abilities. We should play well in defense, be as disciplined and patient as in the match against Spain and be more aggressive in the attack. All this should be done as in the match against Egypt. The instructions given by the coach combined with the individual skills and team spirit within the group [is what will help Russia to win]," Ignatyev said over the phone.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the final set to be played at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.