Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Lusail Stadium

Lusail Stadium is alive with noise. Argentina fans everywhere and the volume has been on maximum since Brazil went out. It was not just the historic rivalrym, it was also seeing a big World Cup rival removed from the equation.

Argentina's fans are pumped up - and the experience of this World Cup tells you they do not need much pumping up at the best of times.

This will be like the River Plate Stadium when this kicks off. Incredible atmosphere around this arena, inside and out, already.

Anna Holligan
BBC News Hague correspondent

Teamwork makes the dream work; that's the mindset the Dutch will be bringing to Argentina, as they seek to exact revenge for their semi-final penalty defeat in 2014.

While Argentina depend on the attacking prowess of Lionel Messi, the Dutch are guided by veteran coach Louis van Gaal, a pioneer of Total Football, in which players are expected to be able to show versatility and switch positions.

The Dutchman nicknamed the 'Iron Tulip' will inevitably concentrate on containing Messi, the heartbeat of this Argentina team, by shutting down his supply lines.

With little expectation they can dominate possession, the seemingly counter-intuitive Dutch approach is to allow their opponents to have the ball and strike through counterattacks, 'omschakeling” or 'switchover' as they say.

Back home they've been accused of playing a 'boring' rather than beautiful game.

But there have been flashes of brilliance in their unbeaten road to the quarter finals, like mesmerising 20-pass move setting up assist-king Memphis Depay’s opener against the US.

Conscious of the criticism, Louis van Gaal describes the new strategy as 'winning football'. He came out of retirement for this, it could be the last time we see him in the dugout, and he'll be hoping to leave the world stage on a high by going one step further in the World Cup than the Dutch have ever done.

Image source, Getty Images

This week, Van Gaal shrugged off criticism from Argentina winger Angel di Maria with the pair set to meet again in this evening's game.

Di Maria played under Van Gaal at Manchester United and called him the "worst" coach , externalof his career after his one-year stay in England.

"I don't like it that Angel said that, it's a pity," said Van Gaal.

"But sometimes a head coach has to take decisions that don't always end well."

Di Maria, who sat out the last-16 victory over Australia with a thigh problem, joined United from Real Madrid for £59.7m in 2014, but was sold to Paris St-Germain the following summer after starting just 20 Premier League games.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, the Dutch boss jokingly used his relationship with forward Memphis Depay, who also struggled under him at United, as an example of how relationships can alter over time.

"He (Di Maria) is one of the very few players who has ever said that, normally it's the other way round," said Van Gaal, before suggesting he and Depay were now close enough that he would happily give the forward a kiss.

The storylines are firmly in place for both these sides now. We are everyone else have done our narrative building.

For Argentina, it is, of course, all about the potential World Cup swansong for one Lionel Messi. You'll probably have noticed all the lyrical waxing that has been done in his favour. To be fair, to the little legend, he has been pretty good this tournament, fortunately for Argentina.

As for the Netherlands, it is their boss taking centre-stage, with the highly-decorated Louis van Gaal stepping down from what is his third spell as Dutch national boss after this World Cup. The 71-year-old recovered from prostate cancer earlier this year and continues to be his usual spikey self...

As with the Brazil-Croatia game, this quarter-final will be live across the BBC.

Clearly, we're live texting the thing, but it is also available for your eyes on BBC One and iPlayer and for your ears on BBC Radio 5 Live.

The build-up is already under way on the radio. Coverage starts on the telly at half past. You'll be able to follow both on this page by using the play buttons at the top.

Anna Holligan
BBC News Hague correspondent

An anxious anticipation is brewing inside the (aptly named, they hope) Not Out bar in The Hague.

"We’re not nervous," Allard grins. "You can feel the atmosphere in the country, the more we play the more the country is behind the team, accepting the style and believing we can do this."

Every single Dutch fan I’ve spoken to concedes their team might not be pretty to watch - "too defensive, not attacking enough" - but coach Louis Van Gaal has hit back with the fact, their strategy is "winning".

"The difference between us and Argentina - they have stars, we have a team ... and lots of players who can score, not just one," Allard explains.

Van Gaal said this is where the tournament begins.

And there is a sense the Dutch have been building up to this moment.

"You see we are getting better and better each game," says Job, who is pouring pints as efficiently as Andries Noppert saves balls.

"At first we were nervous but now we are ready."

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

Image source, BBC Sport

So, who will be playing Croatia in the World Cup semi-final then?

Lusail Stadium is ready. Are you?

Netherlands make one change from their 3-1 win over USA in the last 16.

Former Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn comes in for ex-Everton man Davy Klaassen.

There are starts for Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Manchester City's Nathan Ake.

Netherlands: Noppert, Dumfries, Timber, Van Dijk, Ake, Blind, De Jong, De Roon, Gakpo, Bergwijn, Depay.

Image source, BBC Sport

Argentina also make one change from their 2-1 win over Australia in the last round.

It is a defensive one too, and a change in formation, as Papu Gomez is replaced by Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martinez in a back three.

Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, Tottenham's Christian Romero, Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister and Manchester City's Julian Alvarez make up their Premier League contingent.

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez, Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Otamendi, Acuna, De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister, Messi, Alvarez.

Image source, BBC Sport

Brazil are gone!

Croatia have taken them down via a penalty shootout to advance to the last four.

Our live, bringing the best reaction to that game is still running if you want to check it out.

In the meantime, here are the two goals that took the game to the shootout...

What we do know for certain is who the winner of this quarter final will face in the last four...

So what kind of contest can we expect tonight?

Well, I think it's fair to say neither nation have been at their absolute best during this World Cup. Argentina have bounced back from their opening-game horror show with Saudi Arabia and look to be building up a bit of a head of steam without being scintillating.

The Netherlands have taken an unfamiliar road so far in this tournament, eschewing the usual flair for defensive solidity and efficient counter-attacking.

There's little chance of Louis van Gaal altering an approach that is yielding results, while you sense Argentina remain a bit on the fragile side and reliant on you know who to open an opponent up.

You fear it could be cagey, but let's keep an open, optimistic mind, eh?

World Cup fixtures between Argentina and the Netherlands tend to deliver.

Forget about the group-stage game in 2006, that was an anomaly with caveats attached - it was the last game and both sides were changed after each had already qualified (although maybe the Dutch might have tried harder to win it in hindsight, considering the last 16 brought about a game with Portugal that saw four red cards, 16 yellows and Maniche's goal settle it).

Besides that 0-0 draw, though, Argentina and the Netherlands have consistently put on a show. Whether it's Cruyff and co smashing four in '74, Kempes' revenge mission in the final four years later, Bergkamp's late wonder goal in '98 or the drama of that shootout eight years ago, it's a matchup worth keeping your eyes on.

In 1974 it was Cruyff...

Image source, Getty Images

In 1978 it was Kempes...

Image source, Getty Images

In 1998 it was Bergkamp...

Image source, Getty Images

In 2014 it was Romero...

Image source, Getty Images

Who fancies making themselves a hero this time?

So, we know one of our semi-finalists. And it is not Brazil.

Instead it's Croatia, who so far in this tournament have beaten... *checks notes*... Canada. Wait, just Canada? That can't be it?!

OK then.

Tonight, we find out who is going to face the red and white checked lads in the last four...