France 2-0 Croatia (2-2 agg) (5-4 pens): Les Blues edge past stubborn Croats to reach Nations League semi-finals
France staged a remarkable comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League (UNL) quarter-final against Croatia, ultimately triumphing in a penalty shootout to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Following a disappointing loss in Split on Thursday, Didier Deschamps’ team recognized the necessity for a strong performance in Paris against a Croatian side that had suffered two defeats in their last three UNL matches.
Initially, Les Bleus struggled to find their rhythm, with their first chance materializing in the 17th minute. Michael Olise delivered a well-placed corner that Aurelien Tchouameni met at the near post, but the Real Madrid midfielder's glancing header went just wide of the far post.
After that opportunity, Croatia showcased a resolute defensive effort, limiting the hosts to few chances for the remainder of the first half.
The only notable attempt came in the 39th minute when Olise set up Bradley Barcola, but the PSG forward was thwarted by the imposing Dominik Livakovic, concluding a half marked by minimal action, during which Croatia did not register a single shot on target.
However, all the first-half frustrations were quickly forgotten as France broke the deadlock just seven minutes into the second half. Olise, pivotal for Les Bleus, executed a perfectly placed free-kick over the Croatian wall, leaving Livakovic unable to respond.
With Croatia's aggregate lead reduced to one, Zlatko Dalic’s team retreated, their defense sinking deeper and inviting pressure from the French side, who equalized in the 80th minute.
Once again, Olise played a crucial role, receiving a pass from Kylian Mbappe on the right before the Bayern Munich forward delivered a cutback for Ousmane Dembélé to finish with precision.
Ultimately, France was unable to secure a third goal before the conclusion of regular time, while Croatia did not manage to challenge Mike Maignan, necessitating extra time. Despite France's dominance throughout the match, they found it difficult to create clear scoring chances, with Croatia, similar to their performance in regulation, remaining largely uninvolved.
Kylian Mbappe's impressive volley was saved at the near post by Livaković, setting the stage for a penalty shootout to determine the outcome. Croatia faltered first, as Maignan thwarted Martin Baturina's attempt, and when Franjo Ivanovic also missed from the penalty spot, it seemed the visitors were in dire straits.
Nevertheless, both Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez failed to find the target, pushing the shootout into sudden death. Maignan once again made a crucial save against Josip Stanisic, enabling Dayot Upamecano to score and propel Les Bleus into the semi-finals.
SportsLigue