Spain snatched a stoppage-time equaliser against 10-man Netherlands to secure a 2-2 draw on Thursday that kept up a two-year unbeaten streak and gave the holders the advantage in their Nations League quarter-final tie.
Croatia beat France 2-0 in Nations League quarter-final first leg
WRAP: Croatia's forward Ante Budimir (R) celebrates with Croatia's midfielder #10 Luka Modric after scoring the opening goal. Pic: DAMIR SENCAR/AFP via Getty Images
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Croatia's Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic struck to secure a deserved 2-0 win over France in their Nations League quarter-final, first leg on Thursday, as the return of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele failed to get the visitors to fire.
Croatia also missed an early penalty when Andrej Kramaric’s spot-kick was saved by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan, and the 2023 runners-up were full value for a win that might easily have been achieved by a greater margin.
France created chances and tested Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic several times, but it was a below-par performance on a night that had promised much with the return of Mbappe in particular after he sat out his side's last four fixtures.
France host the second leg in Paris on Sunday. The winners of the tie will face either defending champions Spain or the Netherlands in the semi-finals in June.
France enjoyed almost two-thirds of the possession, but found Croatia tough to break down and when they did craft openings they were wasteful in front of goal.
Defender Ibrahima Konate handled in the area in the opening five minutes as he attempted to control a cross from the right but Kramaric's penalty was poor and saved by Maignan's legs.
Croatia took the lead after 26 minutes when Maignan initially saved superbly from Budimir’s powerful header but the ball spun back towards goal and the keeper could only watch helplessly as it trickled over the line.
The hosts doubled their advantage on the stroke of halftime as a shot was deflected to Perisic a few metres inside the penalty area and his volleyed finish low into the bottom corner of the net showed his excellent technique.
Dembele, who has already scored 22 goals this year for Paris St-Germain in all competitions, had an excellent chance to reduce the deficit, but his shot from eight metres hit the side-netting.
France substitute Bradley Barcola then failed to make contact with the ball when he simply had to steer it into the net from close range - a missed opportunity that summed up the visitors' lacklustre evening.
Merino rescues draw for holders Spain v Netherlands
Spain snatched a stoppage-time equaliser against 10-man Netherlands to secure a 2-2 draw on Thursday that kept up a two-year unbeaten streak and gave the holders the advantage in their Nations League quarter-final tie.
Substitute Mikel Merino, a makeshift striker at club level for Arsenal, proved his ability in front of goal for his country too with a close-range finish three minutes into added time.
The Dutch had fought back after going behind in the ninth minute with goals from Cody Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders but finished with 10 men after teenage defender Jorrel Hato was sent off eight minutes from time for a studs-up challenge.
Spain, who had not lost in their previous 21 competitive internationals, opened the scoring through Nico Williams after a fast start to the game.
An error from 19-year-old Hato was snatched upon by Spain’s 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, whose pass to Pedri in the box was slipped through to Williams who turned to fire it home.
Spain captain Alvaro Morata had a chance to double the score but his header from Marc Cucurella’s cross went wide.
The Dutch forced their way back with right back Jeremie Frimpong providing the energy to lift the home side as he constantly teased the Spanish defence with his runs down the wing.
The failure of Pau Cubarsi to properly clear Frimpong’s cross saw Justin Kluivert feed Gakpo on the left of the attack and he hammered a shot just inside the goal for a 28th-minute equaliser.
Reijnders shaved the crossbar with a half volley before finding the net less than a minute into the second half.
Frimpong cut the ball back after another strong run down the flank and Reijnders placed it into the net with a perfectly executed side-footed shot.
Hato’s dismissal, for a challenge on Robin le Normand, handed a late advantage to Spain, who then peppered the Dutch goal before forcing home the equaliser.
Bart Verbruggen proved unable to hold Williams’ shot and Merino had an easy finish to ensure Spain will be favourites for the return leg in Valencia on Sunday.
The winners of the tie take on Croatia or France in the semi-final in June with Croatia 2-0 up from the first leg.
Denmark's Hojlund strikes for win over Portugal in quarter-final first leg
Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund came off the bench to net the winner as his side beat Portugal 1-0 in their Nations League quarter-final first leg at the Parken stadium on Thursday.
Hojlund, who has struggled to score for Manchester United this season, struck in the 78th minute to help spare the blushes of Christian Eriksen, whose first-half penalty was saved.
Denmark forward Mika Biereth almost got his international career off to the perfect start in the third minute when he blocked an attempted clearance from Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who managed to steer the ball behind for a corner.
Portugal’s first decent effort on target came in the eighth minute when Pedro Neto let fly with a shot from distance but Kasper Schmeichel got a strong hand to it and conceded a corner as both sides sought to attack at every opportunity.
Playmaker Eriksen was in the thick of the action throughout, and Denmark got a penalty in the 23rd when his left-foot shot was handled by Renato Veiga, but the 33-year-old's spot kick was saved by Costa, who dived to his right to parry the ball away.
Costa again denied Biereth a debut goal in the 36th minute with another fine save and Diogo Dalot came to his keeper's rescue just before the break, clearing an Eriksen effort before it crossed the line.
Despite Costa's fine performance, there was little he could do about Denmark's goal as Eriksen picked out Andreas Skov Olsen on the right of the penalty box and he squared the ball for Hojlund to steer it home with his right foot.
The 22-year-old striker could not confine his joy at scoring, celebrating with Cristiano Ronaldo's "siu" celebration.
Denmark backed off after the goal and invited Portugal to attack but the home side managed to keep Ronaldo's team quiet and take a lead into Sunday's second leg in Lisbon. The winners will meet either Italy or Germany in the semi-finals.
Goretzka goal earns Germany 2-1 win in Italy
Germany came from behind to defeat Italy 2-1 at the San Siro on Thursday in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final, with Leon Goretzka heading the winning goal 14 minutes from time.
The second leg is in Dortmund on Sunday, and the winners will host the Nations League semi-finals, where they will meet Denmark or Portugal, and final in June.
Germany pressed high early on, with Italy looking to hit them on the counter, and the hosts opened the scoring in the ninth minute with their first chance.
Nicolo Barella played a pass into the box for Matteo Politano who pulled the ball back towards Moise Kean and the ball fell to Sandro Tonali who drove his shot into the corner.
Germany continued to enjoy more possession, but while Goretzka headed over and sent another effort straight at keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, the visitors' keeper Oliver Baumann had to parry away shots from Tonali and Kean.
Nadiem Amiri sent a free kick just over the bar before the break and Italy took their lead into the interval.
Germany equalised four minutes into the second half when Joshua Kimmich floated the ball into the box and unmarked substitute Tim Kleindienst rose to power a header past Donnarumma with his first touch.
"There were a couple of situations that we paid too heavy a price for over the course of the game," Italy manager Luciano Spalletti told RAI Sport.
"It was a pass from midfield, they found someone free in the box."
Tonali played a deft back-heeled pass into Kean who hit a snap shot over the bar and Giacomo Raspadori was sent through one-on-one with the keeper but Baumann saved with his leg, while Goretzka headed wide from another Kimmich cross.
The winner came from Kimmich's corner which looked to have gone into the net without a touch, but Goretzka got the slightest of touches to the ball before it beat Donnarumma.
"I'm very happy for him (Goretzka). I thought he played a great game, especially in the second half, both defensively and with his presence in the box," Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann said.
"He influenced the game in both ways. It was a top performance."
Italy piled forward, Barella pulling his shot wide from a corner and Baumann saving from Daniel Maldini but the Germans held on to take a one-goal cushion back to Dortmund with their first away win over Italy since 1986, playing as West Germany.
The Italians will hope to relive memories of 2006 at the Westfalenstadion, when they beat Germany in the World Cup semi-finals before going on to lift the trophy.
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