Croatia edges Scotland 2-1 in UExFA Nations League Thriller

Croatia edged Scotland 2-1 in the tight, taut UEFA Nations League A match in front of an energetic crowd. Goals from Ivan Matanovic and Andrej Kramaric proved instrumental as Croatia levelled the game 45 minutes after Scotland had taken the lead through Ryan Christie’s opening goal.

Early Lead for Scotland
Scotland began the game at a brisk tempo, using a quick passing style and keeping high on the pitch to disorganize the Croatians. The efforts paid off when Ryan Christie scored the opening goal for the visitors in the 33rd minute to make it 1-0. Christie, tracking up well following a good pass, slotted the ball just beyond the reach of the Croatian goalkeeper. It was testimony to Scotland’s intent to attack early in the game, although only for that moment, to their surprise.

But it was not long before Croatia responded to the opening score. Three minutes after Scotland’s opening goal, Ivan Matanovic equalized the score to 1-1. With the solid presence of Ivan Perisic, Matanovic’s goal came in a swift counter-attack that brought Croatia right back into the game. The goal lifted the spirits of the home crowd and swung things in favor of the Croatians.

Croatia Gets Momentum
Indeed, once the scores were squared by Matanovic, the Croatians began to play to better possession. Technically gifted and with wonderful ball control, they dominated at 51% of the half and managed 18 shots as compared to Scotland’s 9. Scotland would remain a threat on the break, but Croatia had them pinned all the way back as they continued to exert constant pressure, forcing Scotland defenders deep and absorbing wave after wave of attacks.

Another midfield leader in Croatia, Luka Sucic has given his team some control over the game mainly because of good vision and passing skills which made it easier to relate between the defense and attack, able to run the tempo of the game. Additionally, the organization of the Croatian defense was impressively great due to the performance of Mario Pasalic and fellow backs that did a pretty good job at canceling the scoring opportunity for Scotland.

Equally, the game ended level in the first half, a draw scoreline of 1-1 that made it level and interesting for the second half.

Croatia Scores the First Goal
Pressure did not let up on Croatia in the second half. It finally broke through in the 70th minute when Andrej Kramaric placed the ball past the Denia goalkeeper to make it 2-1 for Croatia. Kramaric’s strike followed some patient building play by the Croatian side, and his goal was a turning point for the whole match. The home side had been persistent and rewarded the fans at Shivaji Park who had spent the day in anxious watching.

Ivan Perisic, who had a hand in the construction of the first goal, was always so influential in their build-up before the Kramaric goal. His great continuous efforts down the left wing opened up the room in front of the striker to find the back of the net hence making him the pillar to this day for Croatia’s attack formation.

Scotland Fights Back
Scotland refused to give in and pushed from behind. A number of substitutions were done but with five minutes remaining, it was Che Adams and Ryan Gauld who came out to try and steal the show at attacking play. However, Croatia had been solid at the back, blocks and interceptions from Domagoj Vida and Josip Sutalo preventing Scottish strike force from repeating their string of penetration.

Billy Gilmour, Scotland’s young midfielder general, was booked late by yellow card as a late tackle summed up Scotland’s frustration in trying to break through the solid Croatian defense. What with four minutes added and the Croatians running down time, Croatia was able to manage the game from the bench accordingly, using their tactical changes to good effect.

Defensive stability and tactical changes
As the game went on, there were some tactical changes that the Croatian coach made. The change included Bruno Petkovic for Kramaric in the 71st minute, given that the side was brought fresher legs going forward. Mislav Baturina had replaced Luka Sucic to stable things a bit in the middle of the park. With these subs, Croatia took control of the game and shut Scotland out from entering the game.

In the last quarter of an hour, Scotland’s attacking did seem to fizzle out. However, Croatia’s defense and discipline never allowed them a chance to get at level terms. For all that the Croatian defense and goalkeeper had allowed 6 shots on target to Scotland, there was nothing more they could do but wait for Scotland to shoot again.

Final Whistle and Key Statistics
Croatia celebrated victory with the final whistle as it went 2-1 in the match. A well-deserved win for Croatia, as they dominated most possession and shots on goal during the match. The visitor’s troops held 51% possession of the ball and produced a total of 18 shots, in which 6 were on target, to show their potency going forward. They were superbly marshaled by a spirited Scottish side.

The match played by Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, and Ivan Matanovic was enough to move to the next with a victorious game against Scotland. Though Scotts have shown some quality, they lost the match. One can gain a few positives from that game which Scotland can benefit, particularly their character and potential of striking dead set counterattacks.

Conclusion: Road ahead for Croatia
Well, such a win will be welcomed by Croatia, especially for the remainder of their UEFA Nations League campaign. The confidence was exactly what this team needed ahead of more testing times at the latter stages of the tournament. Scotland will have mixed feelings after this game since it vindicates the argument put forth on razor-thin margins between victory and defeat at this stage of international football. Even though they gave a good account of themselves, Croatia side, with all the exposure, looked more composed.

Both will look to capitalize on that display as the game wears on. For Croatia, the victory keeps them rolling, and Scotland will look to regroup and learn from the loss. As both teams start shining in small bits, their respective campaigns in the Nations League are going to be thrilling as the competition wears on.

Read more about related article, just click here