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France 2-0 Croatia: Report And Full Match Highlights As Les Bleus Reach UEFA Nations League Semis

Originally posted on PSG on SI | By Apratim Banerjee | Last updated Mar 23, 2025 10:23 PM ET

France and Croatia played out an enticing contest in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals second leg. The game on March 23 took place at Stade de France.

Les Bleus had to come back from behind as they lost the first leg 2-0. Didier Deschamps' side mounted a solid comeback in the second half of the second leg,

Michael Olise's stellar free kick made it 1-0 for France on the night. Ousmane Dembele then found the back of the net in the 80th minute to make it 2-2 on aggregate. The scoreline remained the same after extra time and the game headed to penalties as a result.

The shootout was quite eventful. Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni scored the first two spot kicks for Les Bleus. Martin Baturina missed the first shot for Croatia, but Nikola Moro scored from his spot kick.

Jules Kounde and Fanjo Ivanovic both missed their shots. Randal Kolo Muani and Mario Pasalic scored before Theo Hernandez put his shot wide. Kristijan Jakic, Desire Doue, and Duje Catela-Car all scored, however, Josip Stanisic missed. Dayot Upamecano converted to seal a spot in the semi-finals for France.

UPAMECANO SCORES!

France: ✅✅❌✅❌✅✅
Croatia: ❌✅❌✅✅✅❌

FRANCE HAVE REACHED THE SEMI FINAL OF THE NATIONS LEAGUE! pic.twitter.com/GVdS1lR6pO
— The Touchline | Football Coverage (@TouchlineX) March 23, 2025

It's yet another disappointment for Croatia in a major international tournament. Luka Modric's pursuit of an international title remains elusive.

France, meanwhile, looked good in the second leg and are now a real contender to win the Nations League this year. PSG's Ousmane Dembele, on the other hand, has now transferred his goal scoring form from the club level to the international stage.