Croatia 0-0 Spain (4-5 pens): Luka Modric denied remarkable trophy win after penalty shootout drama
pain were crowned champions of the 2023 UEFA Nations League after Unai Simon’s heroics in Sunday’s penalty shootout, after a drab 0-0 draw over 120 minutes.
Chasing their first-ever major trophy and possibly a last dance for Luka Modric and a team that has finished second and third at the last two World Cups, Croatia failed to pull off their trademark route to tournament glory of simply outlasting their opponent in a match of pure attrition.
Lovro Majer and Bruno Petkovic both saw their penalties saved by goalkeeper Simon and, although Aymeric Laporte spurned Spain’s first match point, Dani Carvajal stepped up to seal La Roja’s first triumph in the competition.
After the drama of both semi-finals and the five-goal play-off that Italy won earlier in the day to take third place, it was perhaps not surprising that it was the final that delivered a more tense affair.
In truth, it was a game that had penalties written all over it from very early on.
Both teams reeled out the classics; Croatia doggedly organised and sensibly biding their time without any concern at going the distance, Spain most at ease when calmly passing the ball with maximum patience as they looked to craft an immaculate breakthrough goal.
A slow start was punctured by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic dropping a straightforward cross onto his post, before the offside Alvaro Morata failed to pounce on the rebound.
Another mistake from Zlatko Dalic’s side handed Gavi an opportunity to shoot from 18 yards, an effort he dragged wide, before Aymeric Laporte did superbly to deny Andrej Kramaric a shooting chance with a break up the other end.
In the second half, it wasn’t until the latter stages that La Roja looked the most likely side to grab the go-ahead goal. Ansu Fati’s pace terrorised Croatia’s defenders after he came off the bench and fine work from Jordi Alba helped tee up the Barcelona youngster with five minutes left, only for his stab goalwards to be turned off the line by Ivan Perisic.
Extra time saw Dani Olmo fire over the bar from a central position as Spain continued to waste decent chances in front of goal.
Croatia’s shootout defeat leaves a question mark over Modric’s international future, although it will hardly be a surprise if he opts for a final shot at glory in next summer’s Euros – when he’ll be 38 and coming off the back of likely his last season at Real Madrid.
For Spain, Luis de la Fuente has come through a rocky start to life in the dugout with a perhaps surprising piece of silverware as they kickstart a new era in fine fashion.
