- France erased a 2:0 first-leg deficit by winning the return leg by the same score
- Michael Olise delivered a goal and assist in regular time to force extra time
- Upamecano scored the decisive penalty after a tense shootout finished 5:4
Key Takeaways:
France defeated Croatia 2:0 (5:4 on penalties) in the second leg of their Nations League quarter-final and sneaked into the semi-finals after losing by the same scoreline just days earlier.
The French players fired 12 shots in the first half alone but couldn’t find the back of the net, with just one of their efforts being on target. Aurelien Tchouameni hit the post in the 17th minute, and Bradley Barcola also came close, only to be denied by Dominik Livakovic.
🇫🇷 FRANCE vs SPAIN 🇪🇸
🇩🇪 GERMANY vs PORTUGAL 🇵🇹Nations League semi-finals confirmed. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pj9sIN6gFT
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 23, 2025
After the break, Michael Olise showed why he’s been one of Bayern Munich’s best performers this season. The winger scored in the 52nd minute, before delivering a vital assist for Ousmane Dembele’s strike in the 80th. That made it 2:0 on the night and 2:2 on aggregate, sending the match into extra time.
Interestingly, the shot count at the end of regular time was 21:4 in favour of France, but just three of those efforts were on target. After extra time, the numbers rose to 29:4, yet “Les Bleus” failed to score a third. Croatia’s goalkeeper Livakovic made several key saves to keep his team alive.
The penalty shootout brought more drama. Croatia looked to crumble early as Baturina and Ivanovic missed their spot-kicks, but Kounde and Theo Hernandez failed to convert for France as well. Stanisic missed Croatia’s seventh penalty, and shortly after, Dayot Upamecano converted his attempt to send France into the semi-finals, where they will face Spain.