SECOND LEG

France eliminates Croatia on penalties in Nations League quarterfinal

23.03.2025.

Photo by: Drago Sopta/HNS

In the second leg of the Nations League quarterfinals, held at the Stade de France in Paris, France triumphed over Croatia after a penalty shootout. The match ended 0-0 after regular time, and France ultimately won 7-4 in the shootout, securing a spot in the semifinals.

France 2:0 Croatia (0:0)
Nations League, Quarterfinal, Second Leg
Stade de France, Paris
Referee: M. Oliver (England)
Goals: 1:0 - Olise (52'), 2:0 - Dembele (80')

Penalties:

Baturina - Maignan saves
Mbappe - 3:0
Moro - 3:1
Tchouameni - 4:1
Ivanović - missed
Kounde - missed
Pašalić - 4:2
Kolo Muani - 5:2
Jakić - 5:3
Hernandez - missed
Ćaleta-Car - 5:4
Doue - 6:4
Stanišić - Maignan saves
Upamecano - 7:4

Yellow Cards:

Stanišić (35')
Mbappe (38')
Kovačić (45')
Gvardiol (45+3')
Ćaleta-Car (61')
Livaković (74')
Jakić (90+5')
Kolo Muani (103')

France Starting Lineup:
Maignan, Hernandez, Saliba, Upamecano, Kounde, Tchoumeni, Kone (111' Zaire-Emery), Barcola (66' Doue), Dembele (99' Kolo Muani), Olise (106' Camavinga), Mbappe.
Manager: Didier Deschamps

Croatia Starting Lineup:
Livaković, Gvardiol (106' Pongračić), Ćaleta-Car, Šutalo, Stanišić, Kovačić (81' Jakić), Modrić (81' Moro), Sučić, Kramarić (71' Baturina), Perišić (71' Pašalić), Budimir (60' Ivanović).
Manager: Zlatko Dalić

The Croatian national team could not secure a place in the Nations League finals for the second year in a row. After the victory of the Croatian team (2:0) in Split, France triumphed in Paris.

From the very start, France looked to score, but Croatia's defense kept the net clean in the first half. Notable missed opportunities from Mbappe and Tchouameni in the early minutes and a fantastic save by Livaković in the 38th minute, when Barcola went one-on-one with him, stood out.

However, in the 52nd minute, Olise scored from a brilliantly executed free-kick into the top corner to make it 1:0, and then Dembele added a second goal in the 80th minute from the heart of the penalty area to make it 2:0 and send the game into extra time.

In the added 30 minutes, Livaković continued his great form with several more key saves to maintain the score. The match eventually went to penalties, where Croatia scored through Moro, Pašalić, Jakić, and Ćaleta-Car, but the decisive moment came in the seventh series when Maignan saved Stanišić’s attempt, and Upamecano sealed the victory for France.

In the Nations League semifinals at the final tournament in Germany, Germany will meet Portugal, while France will face Spain.

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