France Overcome Croatia on Penalties to Secure Nations League Semi-Final Spot
France staged a thrilling comeback against Croatia to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit, eventually winning on penalties to book their place in the UEFA Nations League (UNL) semi-finals. The 2021 champions delivered a resilient performance at the Stade de France, overcoming a stubborn Croatian defense and keeping their hopes alive for another title.
Slow Start for Les Bleus as Croatia Sit Deep
Coming into the second leg trailing by two goals, Didier Deschamps’ men knew they had a mountain to climb. However, their start was far from convincing, as Croatia set up defensively to protect their advantage.
France’s first real opportunity came in the 17th minute when Michael Olise delivered a precise corner kick, finding Aurelien Tchouameni at the near post. The Real Madrid midfielder’s header had Livakovic beaten, but it flashed just wide of the far post.
Despite dominating possession, France found it difficult to break down Croatia’s deep defensive line. Zlatko Dalic’s side remained compact, allowing few spaces in the final third. The best chance of the first half fell to PSG’s Bradley Barcola in the 39th minute when Olise played him through on goal. However, Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic rushed off his line and smothered the shot, ensuring his team’s two-goal advantage remained intact at halftime.
Olise’s Free-Kick Sparks France’s Comeback
The second half saw a much-improved France side, and it didn’t take long for them to find a breakthrough. Seven minutes after the restart, Olise stepped up to take a free kick from just outside the penalty area. The Bayern Munich winger curled a stunning effort over the wall and into the back of the net, leaving Livakovic stranded.
With their aggregate lead reduced to one, Croatia found themselves under relentless pressure. Instead of looking for a response, they fell deeper into their defensive shell, hoping to hold out against a surging French attack.
— (@utd_garnadinho) March 23, 2025
Les Bleus continued to push forward, and in the 80th minute, their persistence paid off. Kylian Mbappe, who had been relatively quiet in the game, picked out Olise on the right wing. The winger delivered a perfect cut-back pass to Ousmane Dembele, who swept the ball into the net to level the tie at 2-2 on aggregate.
The Stade de France erupted as France completed their comeback, but they still needed one more goal to avoid extra time. Despite several late attacks, Croatia’s defensive resilience saw the game head into an additional 30 minutes.
Dembélé vs. Croacia [24/25]pic.twitter.com/TzYuvDcRI2
— (@DembouzComps__) March 24, 2025
Extra Time Dominance but No Decisive Goal
With momentum on their side, France continued to control the game in extra time. Croatia, on the other hand, showed little attacking intent, seemingly content with taking their chances in a penalty shootout.
The best opportunity of the added period fell to Mbappe, who attempted a brilliant volley from a tight angle, but Livakovic was once again up to the task, making a crucial near-post save.
France’s midfield dictated play, with Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga keeping possession and dictating the tempo. Croatia, known for their resilience in knockout games, defended in numbers and managed to force the match into penalties.
Penalty Shootout Drama Sees France Prevail
The penalty shootout was filled with high drama, with both teams feeling the pressure of the moment. Croatia were the first to falter when Martin Baturina saw his effort denied by Mike Maignan. Moments later, Franjo Ivanovic missed his spot-kick, putting France in the driver’s seat.
However, just when it seemed like a straightforward win for Les Bleus, Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez both missed the target, sending the shootout into sudden death.
Maignan stepped up once again, making a stunning save to deny Josip Stanisic, giving France a golden opportunity to seal the win. Dayot Upamecano made no mistake from 12 yards, calmly slotting home to send France into the Nations League semi-finals.
With this victory, Les Bleus kept their hopes alive for a second UNL title and now look forward to facing their next challenge in the final four.
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