The Croatian national team beat the Netherlands 4-2 and qualified for the UEFA Nations League finalafter a match played at the De Kulp stadium in the city of Rotterdam.
Andrej Kramaric (from penalty), Mario Pasalic, Bruno Petkovic and Luka Modric (from penalty) converted for Croatia, while Donyell Malen and Noa Lang did it for the Dutch national team.
Netherlands and Croatia, two of the teams that were eliminated by Argentina in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, played an even first half. Parity broke when matts wieffer generated attendance for a lone Malen, who stopped the ball and defined crossed for 1-0.
Croatia raised his level in the second half under the leadership of the talented and indefatigable Modric and converted the goals to reverse history. kramaric changed the penalty in favor for a goal, generated by the infraction of Cody Gakpo to Modric. Then, pasalic intercepted the center of Luka Ivanusecbefore the passivity of the Dutch defense, and sealed the 2-1.
The selected directed by ronald koeman looked for an equalizer through the crosses and had two situations at the end: a shot from Gakpo that passed near the far post and the attempt to Nathan Ake that he found well standing Dominik Livakovic.
in the last, lang He received the ball without markings after a series of rebounds and marked the agonizing equality that forced extra time.
The joy did not last long for the locals because Croatia He took the lead again on the scoreboard through the admitted Petkovic. The team of zlatko dalic had in check to Netherlands with more situations, but suffered with Livakovic’s save against Lang in the final minutes and defined it with the penalty goal from Modric.
The first finalist of the League of Nations in Europe will meet his next rival tomorrow, when Italy, the last European champion and with the presence of Mateo Retegui, will face Spain, starting at 3:45 p.m., Argentine time, at the De Grolsch Veste stadium, in Enschede, also the Netherlands.
Summary of the party
Netherlands: Justin Bijlow; Denzel Dumfries, Lutsharel Geertruida, Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Aké; Mats Wieffer, Frankie de Jong, Donyell Malen, Teun Koopmeiners and Xavi Simons; and Cody Gakpo. DT: Ronald Koeman.
Croatia: Dominik Livakovic; Josip Juranovic, Josip Sutalo, Domagoj Vida and Ivan Perisic; Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic; Mario Pasalic, Andrej Kramaric and Luka Ivanusec. DT: Zlatko Dalic.
Goal in the first half: 34m. Malen (PB).
Goals in the second half: 10m. Kramaric, from a penalty kick (C); 27m. Pasalic (C); and 45+6m. Lang (PB).
Goal in the first extra time: 7m. Petkovic (C).
Goal in the second extra time: 10m. Modric, from a penalty kick (C).
Changes: in the second half, 18m. Wout Weghorst for Simons (PB); 29m. Georgino Wijnaldum for Wieffer and Steven Bergwijn for Malen (PB); 33m. Nikola Vlasic for Ivanusec and Josip Stanisic for Juranovic (C); 39m. Lovro Majer by Kovacic (C); Noa Lang for Dumfries (PB); 44m. Martin Erlic for Kramaric (C). In the first overtime, Bruno Petkovic for Sutalo (C). In the second overtime, Marten de Roon for Gakpo and Tyrell Malacia for Aké (PB); 13m. Borna Barisic for Modric (C)
Warnings: de John, Koopmeiners, Malacia (PB); Kovacic, Pasalic, Brozovic, Livakovic (C)
Referee: István Kovács (Romania)
Stadium: De Kulp in Rotterdam (Netherlands).
Source: Ambito
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