Croatia vs Scotland & Poland vs Portugal: A Nations League Review
Croatia – Scotland: A Match of Unexpected Twists
Well, well, well! Croatia decided to enter their Nations League match against Scotland with a midfield setup that looked like something out of a “Best of the World” compilation. There was Luka Modric—yes, the living legend himself—still swirling around the pitch at the sprightly age of 39, like a fine wine that just gets better with age, while his companions Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic were conspicuously absent. Good luck filling those shoes, Scotland!
The Scots, bless their hearts, were on a prelude to disaster with five consecutive matches without a win. Talk about a confidence crisis! And Croatia, only slightly better with a win in their last outing, wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire either. The first chance didn’t come until the 9th minute with Luka Sucic’s absurdly lackluster free kick that shimmied straight into the wall. Nothing to write home about, really.
And just when you thought Scotland’s luck might be changing, they scored! Ryan Christie seized on a catastrophic clearance from Sucic and found the net, throwing a wrench into the Croatian works. Ryan must have been wishing for a score that doesn’t sound like a dentist’s office—hopefully, his family doesn’t read the headlines!
But ah, football is cruel. Mr. Matanovic decided to answer Scotland’s call with an equalizer, shooting a shot so sweet it’d make any forward weep with envy. By halftime, we were treated to a 1-1 scoreline, which felt incredibly balanced, though neither team seemed satisfied with sharing the spoils.
The second half cried out for heroics. Luka, the ageless one, put his magic boots on, but Craig Gordon wasn’t having any of it—making saves like a man possessed. It was a classic case of close but no cigar until the 70th minute when Andrej Kramaric—ever the opportunist—headbutted the ball into the net, not unlike someone diving for the last piece of pizza at a party. Voilà, Croatia took it to 2-1.
The drama didn’t stop there, folks! Scotland thought they had equalized at the death, but VAR (that delightful new friend of football) snatched it away, leaving the Scots high and dry. So there you have it, Croatia thrashing out a victory, scoring two goals, and making the Scots ponder their life choices and their next whiskey order!
Poland vs Portugal: The Cristiano Show
And then there was Poland versus Portugal—a match that had all the ingredients of chaos and a sprinkle of Ronaldo magic! The last time these teams met was back when folks thought fidget spinners were the high-tech gadget of the time—six years ago now! This time, they met in Warsaw, where Cristiano Ronaldo, proving he’s about as relatable as a 5-star chef in a fast-food joint, hit the crossbar in the 10th minute, just to remind everyone he was still around.
Portugal was strutting their stuff like they owned the place, with Bruno Fernandes putting the first goal on the board with a header. And who could forget Ronaldo pouncing on a rebound to net his 133rd international goal? Not even Lewandowski could find the antidote to Portugal’s attacking fury. The Polish boys must’ve thought they were chasing a ghost as they trudged into halftime two goals down.
In an unexpected twist, the Poles got a lifeline when Piotr Zielinski’s shot found the net, igniting hopes of a comeback like a campfire in the woods. But loyalty to Portugal was unwavering; they responded, and an own goal from Jan Bednarek—who quite literally shot himself in the foot—sealed a 3-1 victory for the visiting team.
Final Thoughts
So there we have it! Croatia rides high with a crucial victory over Scotland, while Portugal continues their hunt for glory, leaving Poland to consider their strategies for yet another match. In the whimsical world of football, anything can happen—right until that final whistle blows and the fans start questioning their life choices.
Stay tuned for more comical calamities and thrilling finishes as these teams vie for supremacy in the Nations League! Remember, it’s all fun and games until someone has to explain to the manager why they can’t remember the last time they won!
CROATIA-SCOTLAND
Croatia started their Nations League match against Scotland with an unprecedented midfield formation. The lineup of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic was considered one of the best in the world for a long time, but Brozovic retired from the national team in August, and Kovacic could not be with the team on Saturday due to family reasons. Of course, the 39-year-old Modric, as a kind of last Mohican, got a place in the starting eleven this time, and even as a senior, he was one of the best in the field.
Both teams could have benefited from the confidence-boosting success, the Scots did not win any of their five matches prior to the meeting, and the Croatians only won one. The first promising opportunity had to wait nine minutes, but Luka Sucic’s close free kick bounced off the wall, so it did not pose a particular goal threat. The Scottish goalkeeper, Craig Gordon, had to save for the first time after half an hour, on Andrej Kramaric’s shot, and not long after, Borna Sosa headed close to the goal. Then Scotland unexpectedly took the lead. After Luka Sucic’s horrible clearance attempt Ryan Christie shot at the goal from close range, and Duje Caleta-Car, although he still got in, could not save. Didn’t have to wait long for the answer, Igor Matanovic he shot into the lower right corner, scoring his first goal in his third appearance for the national team. István Kovács, born in Nagykároly, ended the first half at 1-1, but you could feel that neither team was satisfied with a draw.
The winning goal (Photo: Getty Images)
In the 54th minute, Luka Modric had a nice shot on goal, but Craig Gordon made a great save, but it still couldn’t be said that the home team had cornered the Scots. In fact, the guests reached the last 16 of the Croatians several times, and it was definitely in the deck that they would leave Zagreb with a victory. In the 65th minute, Modric, after a great solo, shot just wide of the lower right corner. Once again, the Real Madrid midfielder was cheered by the fans, trusting that he will decide the match with a flash. Little by little, the pressure of the Croatians led to a goal, after Ivan Perisic’s pass from the right side, Borna Sosa’s shot was saved by the Scottish goalkeeper, but the bouncing ball Andrej Kramaric he headed it into the goal from close range – the Hoffenheim striker scored his 30th goal for the national team. In the end, there was little drama: the Scots could have equalized at the last moment, but the VAR took away the goal due to offside, leaving the 2–1Croatian victory.
The goal was decided by Andrej Kramaric (left), who scored for the 30th time in the Croatian national team (Photo: Getty Images)
POLAND-PORTUGAL
The last time the two teams met six years ago, also in the Nations League, was a 1-1 result in Guimaraes, but the Portuguese won 3-2 in Chorzów, who also won that NL qualification. This time, the sides met in Warsaw, where the guests started very well, in the 10th minute Cristiano Ronaldo hit the crossbar, and four minutes later, Lukasz Skorupski pushed Bruno Fernandes’ long shot from the top right corner. Then the Poles also got to the opponent’s goal, but the Portuguese scored a goal: Fernandes headed Rúben Neves’s cross. Bernardo Silva and arrived and cut the ball into the bottom left corner.
A good ten minutes later, another guest goal was scored, Rafael Leao’s shot went off the post. Ronaldo and he passed the rebound into the empty net, thus scoring his 133rd goal in his 215th national team match. Robert Lewandowski’s couldn’t find the antidote, and they could actually be happy that they went into the break with only a two-goal deficit. The difference could have increased soon after the turn, but Ronaldo was unselfish in the jump, but the pass came behind Fernandes, who thus did not hit the goal. Lewandowski almost made it better within a minute, but his header went wide, even though Diogo Costa did him the favor of misplacing the pass.
Robert Lewandowski (in white) kept the goal in his mind in this situation (Photo: Getty Images)
Fernandes had another opportunity, but it was also missed, and then the home team scored a (lucky) goal out of nowhere. Piotr Zielinski found the back of the net, which revived the game. The Poles went forward, the Portuguese tried to counter, so sometimes the field was torn apart. There were several threats in the visitors’ counterattacks, and one of them resulted in a goal, trying to save from Diogo Jota Jan Bednarek the ball went from his foot into his own goal. Portugal also won its third match, which travels to Scotland on Tuesday, while Poland also hosts Croatia from 20.45. 1–3
Jan Bednarek’s own goal ended the match (Photo: AFP)
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
ROUND 3
A-LEAGUE
GROUP 1
Croatia-Scotland 2-1 (Matanovic 36., Kramaric 70., ill. Christie 33.)
Poland-Portugal 1-3 (Zielinski 78., or B. Silva 26., C. Ronaldo 37., Bednarek 88. – own goal)
GROUP A1MGyDVL-KGk P 1. Portugal33––7–3+4 9 2. Croatia32–14–3+1 6 3. Poland31–24–6–2 3 4. Scotland3––34–7–3 0
