Croatia 0-0 Spain (pen 4-5): Unai Simon saves 2 penalties to win Nations League

UEFA Nations League: Spain beat Croatia 5-4 on penalties to win the title

Match Report

Manchester City City midfielder Rodri made it a club and country trophy double in the space of just eight days when he helped Spain beat Croatia in a penalty shoot-out to win the Nations League final.

It was cruel on Luka Modric, looking to crown his international career by leading Croatia to what would have been their first trophy. In the end it was his Real Madrid team-mate Dani Carvajal who scored the winning kick.

In the dramatic shoot-out both sets of players held their nerve. Nikola Vlasic scored the first kick for Croatia but Joselu buried his spot-kick for Spain.

Marcelo Brozovic made it 2-1 for Croatia and Rodri, who won man-of-the-match on the night levelled emphatically for Spain. Modric then stroked his effortlessly into the roof of Unai Simon’s net but with even more cool Mikel Merino made it 3-3.

Simon then saved from Lovro Majer and when Marco Asensio scored Spain had the lead. But Ivan Perisic scored and, with the chance to win it, Aymeric Laporte, who can also boast to have lifted two trophies in eight days, hit the crossbar.

The 25,000 Croatia fans in Rotterdam thought it was going to be their night but there was a further twist as Simon saved again this time from Bruno Petkovic and Carvajal, with a Panenka-style kick, won it to give Spain their first trophy since winning the Euros in 2012.

Croatia had soaked up Spain’s early pressure and tried to hit Spain on the break with Andrei Kramaric only denied by an important Laporte interception in the first half.

For Spain, Jordi Alba’s crosses were the greatest threat. The captain, and a scorer in that Euros 2012 win, sent over a centre from the left but Asensio got under it with his header as Spain begane to create more chances.

They should have won it six minutes from time when an inspired Alba pass found Mikel Merino who crossed for Ansu Fati.

His effort was goalbound but Perisic managed to clear it off the line and send the game into added time.

A saving tackle from substitute Nacho prevented Lovro Majer from scoring in the first half of extra time.

He was injured in the process and had to hobble through the rest of the game because Spain had used all their substitutes.

Spain had the chances in the last 15 minutes of the marathon with Asensio wasting a chance crafted for him by Alba and Dani Olmo sending another effort wide. Even the tireless Modric was fading towards the end.

Once again he had been Croatia’s pass master but they had failed to take their chances and were holding on for penalties. When the shoot-out came Modric his pal Carvajal with the decisive kick.

‘There is no debate,’ said Rodri when asked about the future of the Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. He had been under pressure only having taken over from Luis Enrique four games ago.

‘We have played the final and we won it,’ said the City midfielder as Alba lifted Spain’s first silverware in 11 years.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

12' CLOSE! Gavi's shot wide out

27' Morata's header wide out

31' Perisic's header stopped

39' Perisic's header stopped again

42' Morata's header wide out

57' Asensio's header over the bar

60' Pasalic's header wide out

65' Rodri's long shot wide out

76' Asensio's shot wide out

84' Perisic makes goal-line clearance

Dani Carvajal seals it from the spot to break Croatia's hearts. It's their first trophy in 11 years.

Penalty shoot-out:

Croatia: ✅✅✅❌✅❌

Spain: ✅✅✅✅❌✅

Line-ups

Croatia XI: Modric, Perisic, Kramaric, Brozovic, Kovacic, D. Livaković, Pasalic, Martin Erlic, Josip Juranovic, Luka Ivanusec, Josip Sutalo

Subs: D. Vida, Ivica Ivusic, Petkovic, Borna Barisic, Borna Sosa, Vlasic, Petar Musa, Lovro Majer, Josip Stanisic, Nediljko Labrovic, Dion Beljo

Spain XI: J. Navas, Alba, Morata, Laporte, Robin Le Normand, Asensio, Unai Simón, Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, Yeremy, Gavi

Subs: Canales, Joselu, Rodrigo, Nacho, Carvajal, Kepa, David Raya, Merino, Olmo, Fran García, Martín Zubimendi, Fati