Germany wins, Croatia shocks France

The UEFA Nations League quarter-finals have officially kicked off. In the first leg of the quarter-finals, Germany was the only major team to emerge victorious, defeating Italy 2-1. Croatia caused a major upset by beating France 2-0, while Denmark grabbed headlines with a 1-0 win over Portugal. Meanwhile, the match between Spain and the Netherlands ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw. These teams will face off again in the return leg on March 24.

At Milan’s San Siro, Germany came from behind to win, with both of their goals coming in the second half, thanks to midfielder Joshua Kimmich’s vital contributions. Italy took the lead early in the 9th minute through Sandro Tonali. However, Germany equalized in the 49th minute with Timo Klindienst’s goal, and Leon Goretzka sealed the win with a 76th-minute strike. Goretzka, who returned to the national team in November 2023, scored his first goal for Germany in almost four years. Kimmich assisted both goals, playing a key role in the comeback.

Elsewhere, Croatia stunned the former World Cup champions, France, with a 2-0 win at the Poljud Stadium. Croatia’s first-half goals came from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perišić. In the 8th minute, France’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved Andrej Kramarić’s penalty, which could have increased Croatia’s margin of victory. Maignan also stopped a long-range shot from Josko Gvardiol. Despite the return of Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé to the French squad, France struggled to match their usual level of play in the first half and couldn’t recover in the second half. France coach Didier Deschamps expressed hopes for a comeback in the return leg. This defeat is a bitter reminder for Croatia, who lost to France in the 2018 World Cup final.

In Copenhagen, Denmark claimed a 1-0 win over Portugal, with Rasmus Højlund’s goal in the 78th minute. The Danish striker’s celebration after the goal was a highlight. Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo, couldn’t find their rhythm. In the first half, Portugal’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved Christian Eriksen’s penalty, marking the first time Eriksen had missed from the spot for Denmark since 2016. Eriksen’s shot was also cleared off the goal line by Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot, and his free-kick was saved. Ronaldo failed to make an impact in the match.

In the Netherlands, Spain managed to avoid defeat at De Kuip, thanks to Mikel Merino’s stoppage-time goal in the second half. Spain took an early lead in the 9th minute with Nico Williams’ goal. However, the Netherlands responded quickly, equalizing in the 28th minute through Cody Gakpo. In the second half, the Netherlands went ahead 2-1 with a goal from Tijjani Reijnders. But the Dutch were dealt a blow in the 81st minute when Zorrel Hato was sent off with a red card. Spain took full advantage of the numerical advantage and scored to secure a 2-2 draw.