Croatia delivered a strong performance on Thursday night, defeating France 2-0 in the first leg of their Nations League quarterfinal. Goals from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic sealed a well-deserved win in front of their home fans.
Croatia had an early chance to go ahead when they earned a penalty after Ibrahima Konaté handled the ball inside the box. However, Andrej Kramaric’s spot kick was saved by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Budimir Opens the Scoring
In the 26th minute, Budimir’s powerful header was saved initially by Maignan, but the ball spun back into the net, giving Croatia the lead.
Perisic Doubles the Lead
Just before halftime, a deflected shot landed at the feet of Perisic inside the penalty area. He made no mistake, volleying the ball low into the bottom corner with great technique.
France Struggles Despite Big Names
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembélé returned for France but failed to make an impact. Dembélé came close but hit the side-netting, and substitute Bradley Barcola missed a simple chance to score, summing up France’s disappointing night.
“We lost the first leg, but we’ll make sure to win the second at home,” said France coach Didier Deschamps. “We were wasteful in the first half and gave away too many chances. We’ll do everything to turn this around.”
What’s Next?
The second leg will be played in Paris on Sunday, with the winner facing either Spain or the Netherlands in the semifinals.
Match Stats:
| Category | Croatia (CRO) | France (FRA) |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 38% | 62% |
| Shots on Goal | 4 | 6 |
| Shot Attempts | 8 | 16 |
| Fouls | 12 | 12 |
| Yellow Cards | 0 | 2 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Corner Kicks | 3 | 9 |
| Saves | 6 | 2 |
Can France bounce back?
With home advantage in Paris for the second leg, all eyes will be on whether France can recover or if Croatia will complete the job.
