Spain grab late leveller against Dutch in Nations League, Croatia down France

PARIS – Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman insisted his side were the better team, as Mikel Merino’s 93rd-minute equaliser earned Spain a 2-2 draw in Nations League quarter-final first-leg action on March 20.

Croatia, meanwhile, have one foot in the semi-finals after stunning France 2-0.

Germany are in prime position to host the final stage of the tournament after coming from behind to beat Italy 2-1 in Milan, while Rasmus Hojlund fired Denmark into a 1-0 first-leg lead against Portugal.

In Rotterdam, reigning champions Spain raced into an early lead through Nico Williams but needed a stoppage-time leveller against the 10-man Dutch side to avoid their first defeat since a 1-0 friendly loss to Colombia in March 2024.

Dutch goals either side of the break courtesy of Cody Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders had flipped the tie on its head, until an 81st-minute red card for teenager Jorrel Hato for a rash challenge on Robin le Normand gave Spain a way back.

It was the ever-dangerous Williams who created Spain’s second as he cut in and fired off a strike, which Bart Verbruggen could only palm out to the lurking Merino.

“It’s a bit sad when you concede the late goal. I don’t think we deserved it. But you know when you play with 10 men, it’s going to be difficult. But we dared to take the game to Spain. We were the better team,” Koeman told broadcaster Ziggo.

Elsewhere, Croatia put an early penalty miss behind them to gain revenge over the side that beat them in the 2018 World Cup final, winning 2-0 in Split.

French goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved Andrej Kramaric’s eighth-minute spot kick, but was unable to deny Ante Budimir 18 minutes later despite getting a firm touch on the forward’s header.

Veteran Ivan Perisic gave Croatia a two-goal buffer ahead of the return fixture one minute into first-half added time with a perfectly placed right-footed volley.

“Croatia are obviously in a better situation. Our first-half showing was below what we are capable of. It will be a different game (in the second leg) and we will do everything to turn it around,” France boss Didier Deschamps told TF1.

France captain Kylian Mbappe made his return to international duty after a six-month absence but endured a frustrating night on the Dalmatian coast.

In the battle of potential hosts at the San Siro, Italy were unable to hold onto the ninth-minute lead handed to them by Sandro Tonali, as second-half headers by Tim Kleindienst and Leon Goretzka gave Germany a 2-1 lead to defend in Dortmund next week.

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich set up both goals, with Kleindienst’s leveller coming in the 49th minute and Goretzka’s edging the visitors ahead with 14 minutes remaining.

“It was not easy to come back and win. Now we will have to play the return leg with the same determination, without thinking that the job is done because we won here,” said Germany forward Jamal Musiala.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal went down 1-0 in Copenhagen to Hojlund’s 78th-minute winner.

The Dane came off the bench to sweep home Andreas Skov Olsen’s low cross as Portugal finally cracked under sustained pressure from the home team.

Visiting goalkeeper Diogo Costa made a string of fine saves, including denying Christian Eriksen’s penalty midway through the first half, but was helplessly wrong-footed by Hojlund’s crisp finish.

“It was our worst performance in the last two years,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez told RTP.

In Nations League play-off action, Ukraine stunned Rudi Garcia’s Belgium with a 3-1 victory in Murcia.

Romelu Lukaku handed the away side the lead five minutes before the interval, but three goals in 12 second-half minutes by Oleksii Hutsuliak, Vladyslav Vanat and Illia Zabarnyi secured an excellent first-leg result for the Ukrainians.

Turkey beat Hungary 3-1 in Istanbul, while a Scott McTominay penalty gave Scotland a 1-0 win in Greece and Serbia held hosts Austria to a 1-1 stalemate.

The return fixtures for all the Nations League ties will take place on March 23. AFP