Croatia Stun France 2-0 in UEFA Nations League Quarter-Final
Croatia took a commanding 2-0 lead over France in their UEFA Nations League quarter-final match, thanks to goals from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic. The win ended France's five-match unbeaten streak and put Croatia in a strong position ahead of the second leg.
Croatia secured a crucial 2-0 win over France in their UEFA Nations League quarter-final match, ending Les Bleus' five-match unbeaten streak. The victory gives Croatia a significant advantage in the tie, with a 2-0 aggregate lead heading into the second leg.
The match got off to a dramatic start when referee Espen Eskas awarded Croatia a penalty in the early stages. Ibrahima Konate was penalized for handball inside the box after Ante Budimir applied pressure, leading to the spot kick. The successful conversion of the penalty set the tone for Croatia's dominant performance, which was capped off by goals from Budimir and Ivan Perisic.
Croatia was awarded a penalty early in the match, but Andrej Kramaric's attempt was thwarted by Mike Maignan's impressive save. Maignan dived to the right and managed to keep out Kramaric's penalty with his trailing leg, giving France a lucky escape.
France's Kylian Mbappe, making his first international appearance in over six months, showed glimpses of his brilliance, but was denied by Dominik Livakovic on two occasions. Mbappe's early effort was saved by Livakovic, and the Croatian goalkeeper made another superb parry to safety after Mbappe was picked out by Lucas Digne.
The hosts, Croatia, broke the deadlock in the 26th minute when Ante Budimir headed home Ivan Perisic's cross. The goal was a disappointment for Maignan, who failed to keep out what appeared to be a routine header. The ball ricocheted off Maignan's chest and into the net, giving Croatia the lead.
Perisic added to Croatia's advantage in first-half stoppage time with an unstoppable right-footed volley past Maignan. The goal was Perisic's first international strike since December 2022 and came after William Saliba diverted Martin Baturina's initial effort into his path. The goal left Croatia in a commanding position at half-time, with a 2-0 lead over France.
France, led by Didier Deschamps, started the second half with renewed intensity, and Ousmane Dembele was unlucky not to score when he received a pass from Kylian Mbappe and struck the side netting. The duo combined again soon after, with Dembele's first-time effort from Mbappe's cross being pushed behind by Dominik Livakovic.
Despite dominating possession, France struggled to break down Croatia's resilient defense. Substitute Bradley Barcola's inability to connect with Matteo Guendouzi's cross into the box epitomized France's attacking woes. Livakovic continued to impress in goal, making another stunning save to deny Mbappe and preserve Croatia's clean sheet.
The 2-0 victory served as a much-needed morale boost for Croatia, who had ended their group stage campaign with two draws and a defeat. In contrast, France's hopes of becoming the first multiple winners of the UEFA Nations League hang in the balance ahead of the second leg in Saint-Denis on Sunday.
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