France erased a 2-0 first-leg deficit and triumphed in a dramatic penalty shootout to eliminate Croatia and book their spot in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
After a frustrating first half in Paris, Michael Olise sparked the comeback with a stunning free-kick seven minutes after the restart, leaving Dominik Livaković rooted to the spot.
With Les Bleus piling on the pressure, their persistence paid off in the 80th minute when Ousmane Dembélé finished a well-worked move set up by Kylian Mbappé.
Despite dominating extra time, France couldn’t break through Croatia’s resolute defense, forcing a tense penalty shootout.
Mike Maignan made crucial saves from Martin Baturina and Josip Stanišić, while Dayot Upamecano stepped up to bury the winning kick, sending Didier Deschamps’ side through in thrilling fashion.
