- Ivan Perisic scored and assisted in the 2-0 win over France
- Croatia missed an early penalty, but Perisic’s stunning strike sealed the victory
- Denmark edged Portugal 1-0, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring and mocking Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration
Key Takeaways:
Ivan Perisic played a decisive role in Croatia’s 2-0 victory over France in the Nations League Division A quarter-finals. The experienced winger set up Ante Budimir’s opener before scoring a brilliant second goal. The two sides will meet again at the Stade de France in the return leg in around 72 hours.
Croatia had the opportunity to take an early lead in the seventh minute when they were awarded a penalty for handball. However, Mike Maignan denied Andrej Kramaric from the spot, keeping the score level.
Just before halftime, Perisic unleashed a powerful strike to double Croatia’s advantage at 2-0. The second half produced fewer clear-cut chances, though a late defensive lapse nearly gifted France a goal. Joško Gvardiol misjudged a clearance, allowing Kylian Mbappe a golden opportunity, but the Manchester City defender quickly recovered and cleared the ball for a corner. Zlatko Dalic’s side managed to protect their lead until the final whistle, securing a crucial 2-0 first-leg win.
Hojlund hit the SIUU celebration in front of Cristiano after scoring against Portugal 👀 pic.twitter.com/9R3Mrecopa
— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) March 20, 2025
In the other Division A quarter-final, Denmark defeated Portugal 1-0 in Copenhagen. Rasmus Hojlund scored the decisive goal in the 78th minute after receiving a pass from Andreas Skov Olsen and beating Diogo Costa with a low strike into the bottom left corner. Earlier in the match, Costa had saved a penalty from Christian Eriksen, while Denmark created several other chances that went unconverted.
After scoring, Hojlund taunted Cristiano Ronaldo by celebrating with the Portuguese star’s signature “SIUUU” in front of him.