In Rotterdam, the Balkan team beat the Netherlands 4-2 in added time and will play the UEFA tournament definition. Expect a rival for Sunday’s definition: Spain or Italy.
The UEFA Nations League, Europe’s newest national team competition, has its first runner-up in its current iteration. It is Croatia, who beat the Netherlands 4-2 in Rotterdam, in added time, and thus settles in the definition which will be played next Sunday.
The local team, which hosts the final phase of the tournament, is going through a new phase under the leadership of Ronald Koeman, the replacement for Louis van Gaal after the World Cup in Qatar. On the Croatian side, this may be the last chance for the generation led by Luka Modric to win a championship. They have been close, especially during the World Cups. Today they have taken an important step to inaugurate the football showcases of the nation of former Yugoslavia.
The Netherlands started in advantage. In the 34th minute, Donyell Malen put the first for the Dutch. So they went to break. In the plugin, Croatia reacted and managed to turn things around. At 55′, on penalty, Andrej Kramaric beats goalkeeper Bijlow for the partial 1-1. Then, at minute 72, Mario Pasalic scored 2-1 for the checkered cast. The Oranje attacked in the epilogue to regain the tie.
Koeman was right with the entry of Noa Lang, who made it 2-2 in the sixth minute of injury time. The former Netherlands cornered the Croats at the tip of the crosses, until they were equal, which allowed them to go into extra time. As in the World Cup, Croatia looked whole in extra time and found the goals that helped them win the match and advance to the final.
At 98′, Bruno Petkovic brought the score to 3-2 with a powerful shot from outside the area, after an assist from Luka Modric. The player still from Real Madrid, tempted by millions from Saudi Arabia, was the figure of the commitment. He put the tombstone in the game at 116′, converting via a penalty. The next minute he was substituted and even Koeman greeted him from the sidelines.
This way, Zlatko Dalic’s Croatia advance to the final and have another chance to win the national team’s first title. Where he came closest was in Russia 2018, falling in the final with France. Sunday, in Rotterdam, the duel for the title of the League of Nations will be played against a rival which will be known this Thursday: Spain or Italy.
follow on Jock
Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
