Croatia took the lead in the last minute of added time against the Netherlands after regular time. Just waiting for the final whistle of the referee. But at that time, Noah Lang shook the net and destroyed the joy of the Croats. In the end, however, Modric took the win. But had to fight for 120 minutes.
Croatia reached the final for the first time after defeating the Dutch 4-2 after a hard-fought UEFA Nations League semi-final at the De Kuip Stadium on Wednesday (June 14). Andrej Kramaric, Mario Pasalic, Bruno Petkovic and Luka Modric scored one each for the Croats. Daniel Mallen and Noah Lang scored twice for the Dutch.
After the Euros, the UEFA Nations League is one of the biggest stages to prove the superiority of European countries. In the fight for the last four where the Netherlands and Croatia face each other. The star-studded duo is second to none in power. In the FIFA ranking, the Dutch are sixth and the Croatians are seventh. The fight between the two teams on the field was fierce.
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However, the Dutch were ahead in the fifty-fifty ball possession battle in the first half. In the 34th minute, midfielder Mats Weifer got the ball in the D-box after two or three teammates turned around. He didn't take a shot and extended the ball to Mallen, who was unguarded on the right side of the box. There were no Croatian defenders to stop him. The Borussia forward found the address with a strong shot. The Netherlands went ahead with it.
In the first edition of the Nations League, the Dutch, who lost the title to Portugal in the 2018-19 season, have the opportunity to reach the final again. But in the 55th minute of the second half, Kramarich stood in the way of their dreams. However, the opportunity was given by the Dutch. The Croat striker equalized from the penalty spot. After 17 minutes, Ivanusek made a pass to Pasalich in the box. Dutch goalkeeper Justin Bijlow could not return his powerful shot. The Croats took the lead. Noah Lang turned joy into pain just as Modric celebrated with the lead at the end. The midfielder scored in the last minute of added time to bring the Dutch back into the fight. The match was made in extra minutes.
However, Bruno Petkovic did not let the Croats regret. After receiving a pass from Luka Modric in the 98th minute, Petkovic returned the team to the lead by defeating Bizlow with a strong shot from outside the D-box. The Dutch struggled to get back to parity. But their last hope ended when Tyrell Malacia fouled Petkovic in the D-box in the 116th minute. Modric doubled the gap from the spot kick on the whistle of the referee. In the end, winning 4-2, Croatia entered the UEFA Nations League final for the first time.
Spain-Italy will meet on Thursday (June 15) in the second semi-final of the Nations League. The winner of the two teams will face the Croats in the title fight on June 18.
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