Croatia dominates France and takes revenge
Six years after the 2018 final, Croatia claims a resounding revenge against Les Bleus (2-0). A one-sided match where Zlatko Dalić's men laid down the law in the first leg of the Nations League quarter-final.
The match started at a blistering pace. In the 5th minute, Konaté conceded a penalty for a handball in the box. But Kramaric missed his duel against Maignan. Croatia kept pressing. Gvardiol's shot was stopped, but in the 17th minute, Budimir opened the scoring with a powerful header. France struggled to respond. Mbappé and Dembélé tried to pose a threat, to no avail. Just before the break, Perisic doubled the lead with a superb cross-shot (46th).
Returning from the locker room, Les Bleus were more enterprising. Dembélé and Mbappé created several chances, but Livakovic, imperious, repelled everything. Croatia, well-organized, managed their advantage. A final save by the Croatian keeper on a Mbappé shot (81st) sealed the match. The Vatreni won authoritatively, leaving Les Bleus without solutions. A clear victory and a sweet revenge for the 2018 World Cup. See you on Sunday to see if Modric and his team will confirm this dominance.