Croatia out after penalty shootout drama in Paris

Luka Modrić and Kylian Mbappe

Croatia’s UEFA Nations League journey came to an end on Sunday night as they were knocked out by France on penalties at the Stade de France.

With a 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Split, Zlatko Dalić’s side arrived in Paris knowing they would face a barrage from the French attack – and that’s exactly what happened.

Right from the start, France threw everything at Croatia. A dominant first-half display saw the hosts register 12 attempts on goal while enjoying 65% possession.

Croatia, pinned back deep in their own half, were forced to defend for most of the half.

Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković was once again in inspired form, producing a number of stunning saves, keeping Croatia’s aggregate lead intact heading into half-time.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with France pressing relentlessly. The breakthrough finally came in the 52nd minute when Michael Olise stepped up and curled a superb free-kick over the wall and past Livaković to make it 1-0 on the night.

The hosts kept pushing and eventually found their second goal ten minutes from time. Olise turned provider, sliding a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Ousmane Dembélé, who smashed the ball home to level the tie 2-2 on aggregate.

With the score locked at 2-2, the match headed into extra time, and for the first time all evening, Croatia saw more of the ball. The new generation took centre stage, with Nikola Moro, Martin Baturina, and Kristijan Jakić on the pitch, while Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, and Ivan Perišić watched from the bench.

Despite Croatia’s improved possession, they struggled to trouble the French defence. Livaković was called into action again to keep the score level, but neither side could find a winner, and penalties loomed.

Penalty Heartbreak

When it came down to the shootout, there was typical Croatia penalty drama. They missed two of their early spot-kicks, before France also missed two to end level after the first five.

When Josip Stanišić missed the 7th penalty, Upamecano held his nerve to see France win 5-4 on penalties, sending them into the Final Four.