Holland 2-4 Croatia (AET): Bruno Petkovic and Luka Modric strike in extra time as Zlato Dalic’s men win Rotterdam thriller to reach Nations League final
- Donyell Malen put the Netherlands ahead with a smart first-half finish
- Andrej Kramaric equalized from the spot after Cody Gakpo fouled Luka Modric
- Mario Pasalic gave Croatia a deserved lead when they ran into Luka Ivanusec’s cross
- Noa Lang equalized in the 96th minute to extend the game
- Bruno Petkovic scored the winner with a fine strike from outside the box
- Luka Modric then scored from the spot to end the dramatic semi-final
Croatia scored twice in extra time to beat the Netherlands 4-2 in their Nations League semi-final in Rotterdam on Wednesday and advance to Sunday’s decider.
Croatia face either Italy or Spain, who meet in the second semi-final in Enschede on Thursday, for a first major title as they continue their form from last year’s World Cup in Qatar , where she finished third.
Substitute Bruno Petkovic netted a superb shot from the edge of the penalty area eight minutes after extra time to put them on the right track.
And Luka Modric secured Croatia’s triumph with a late penalty, his second of the match.
The Dutch, who hosted the four-nation tournament, had forced extra time with a last-minute equalizer to ensure they finished 2-2 after 90 minutes despite enjoying wide supremacy in front of their home fans at Feyenoord Stadium.
Donyell Malen gave the hosts a 34th-minute lead before Andrej Kramaric equalized from the penalty spot after 10 minutes in the second half.
Croatia then took the lead through Mario Pasalic in the 73rd minute before Noa Lang slotted the ball into the roof of the net to equalize six minutes after stoppage time.
