Croatia Advances to Nations League Final with Thrilling Victory Over Netherlands
Luka Modric scored a penalty in the 109th minute to give Croatia a 4-2 win over the Netherlands in the Nations League semifinals. Croatia will face Spain in the final on Sunday.
The match was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams creating chances. The Netherlands took the lead in the 34th minute through Donyell Malen, but Croatia equalized in the 52nd minute through Andrej Kramaric. Mario Pasalic gave Croatia the lead in the 72nd minute, but Noa Lang equalized for the Netherlands in the 96th minute to force extra time.
In extra time, Croatia took control of the match and created several chances. Modric finally broke the deadlock in the 109th minute, scoring from the penalty spot after Davor Subasic was fouled in the box. Croatia held on for the win and will now face Spain in the final.
This is Croatia's second consecutive appearance in the Nations League final. They lost to Portugal in the 2019 final. Croatia will be looking to win their first title in the competition.
Modric was the star of the show for Croatia. He was named man of the match for his performance. He controlled the midfield and created several chances for his teammates. He also scored the winning penalty in extra time.
The Netherlands will be disappointed with the result. They were the better team for most of the match, but they were unable to finish their chances. They will now have to wait until the next Nations League to try and win the title.
The final between Croatia and Spain will be a repeat of the 2018 World Cup final. Spain won that match 3-2. This will be a chance for Croatia to avenge that defeat and win their first major trophy since the 2018 World Cup.
The final will be played on Sunday at the San Siro in Milan, Italy. The match will kick off at 2:45 p.m. ET.