Croatia moved a huge step closer to a first ever major trophy after coming from behind to beat the Netherlands 4-2 in the UEFA Nations League (UNL) semi-final at De Kuip in Rotterdam. Ronald Koeman’s turbulent return to the Dutch hotseat continued as the Oranje lost for the first time in this UNL cycle.
After losing in the final of the inaugural UNL, Netherlands looked keen to utilise home advantage having won all but one of their previous 10 competitive matches on Dutch soil since the end of 2020.
Croatia, as ever, were proving stubborn opponents in a cagey opening period that saw the raucous home crowd treated to just one shot on target. Luckily for Ronald Koeman’s men, that effort ended up in the back of the Croatian net.
Nathan Aké’s square pass from the left cut a hole through the visitors’ defence to find Mats Wieffer, and he slid in Donyell Malen to fire into the bottom corner and send the Dutch in at the break with a slender lead.
So often over the last five years, Zlatko Dalić’s men have shown they don’t panic when falling behind, and their calmness under pressure once again helped earn them a route back into this clash.
Luka Modrić caught Cody Gakpo napping in possession in his own box, and when the Liverpool forward pulled the Croatia captain down, he conceded a penalty. Andrej Kramarić coolly slotted home from 12 yards to restore parity into this enthralling contest less than 10 minutes after the restart.
The Dutch struggled to handle the setback, and Croatia got the goal their play merited, as a low cross from Luka Ivanušec was turned home on the volley by Mario Pašalić. The big-game experience of the Croatian players became ever more prevalent as the final whistle approached, as they kept the ball away from their own penalty area for large periods.
With time running out, Netherlands threw everything at Croatia in the final stages and in the sixth minute of stoppage-time, they finally got their reward. After the visitors failed to clear a set-piece, Noa Lang showed composure beyond his years to cushion his effort high into the net and send the contest into extra-time.
Momentum was with the Dutch after their last-gasp leveller, but it would be Croatia to find the game’s all-important fifth goal. Bruno Petković, who so memorably scored in extra-time to score against Brazil at the World Cup, executed a glorious turn before firing home from the edge of the area.
A second revival wasn’t on the cards for Koeman’s men, who were ultimately beaten by two goals when Modrić converted a 116th minute penalty after an awful challenge from Tyrell Malacia. The Dutch fall at the penultimate hurdle in the UNL and drop into the third-place play-off as a result, while Croatia will face either Spain or Italy in the final as their hunt for a maiden major trophy intensifies.
Fast Results
Scores
