France staged a thrilling comeback to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Croatia, ultimately winning on penalties to book their spot in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
After a disappointing defeat in Split, Didier Deschamps’ side needed a strong response in Paris. However, they struggled to break down Croatia’s disciplined defense in the first half.
Their best early chance came in the 17th minute when Aurélien Tchouaméni’s glancing header narrowly missed the target. France had another opportunity in the 39th minute when Michael Olise set up Bradley Barcola, but Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković denied the PSG forward.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 52nd minute, with Olise curling a stunning free-kick over the Croatian wall and past Livaković. With just one goal separating the teams on aggregate, Croatia sat back, allowing France to pile on the pressure. Their persistence paid off in the 80th minute when Olise combined with Kylian Mbappé before setting up Ousmane Dembélé for the equalizer.
Despite dominating extra time, France couldn’t find a winner, forcing the match into a penalty shootout.
Croatia faltered first as Mike Maignan saved Martin Baturina’s effort, followed by a miss from Franjo Ivanovic. However, France stumbled as well, with Jules Koundé and Theo Hernandez missing their shots.
In sudden death, Maignan produced another crucial save against Josip Stanišić, giving Dayot Upamecano the chance to seal the win. The defender converted his spot-kick, sending Les Bleus into the final four.
