Veteran midfielder Luka Modric scored an extra-time penalty to seal a thrilling 4-2 victory for Croatia over the Netherlands and a place in the UEFA Nations League final.
Luka Modric scores a CLUCTH penalty kick for Croatia to secure their victory against the Netherlands in extra time
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Thousands of ecstatic red-and-white clad Croatia fans chanted “Luka! Luka! Luka!” after the 37-year-old completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 116th minute on Wednesday.
Substitute Bruno Petković also scored in extra-time with a shot from just outside the penalty area that flew low into the corner, just out of the reach of Justin Bijlow as staunch Dutch resistance finally crumbled.
Another substitute, Netherlands forward Noa Lang, had forced the game into extra time with a volleyed equalizer six minutes into stoppage time.
Netherlands’ Noa Lang evens the score in stoppage time against Croatia
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Earlier in the pulsating match, a 55th-minute penalty by Andrej Kramarić and a shot by Mario Pašalić in the 73rd minute canceled out Donyell Malen’s 34th-minute opener to keep Croatia and Modric in the hunt for their first major international title.
Lang scored only his second international goal after coming on in the 85th minute. But he squandered a great chance in the second half of extra time when he shot into the side netting with Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković out of position.
Spain plays Italy in the other semifinal in the eastern Dutch city of Enschede on Thursday. The final and third-fourth playoff of the third edition of the Nations League are Sunday.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Luka Modric
Croatia
UEFA Nations League
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