May 22, 2023 - Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalić announced the players he is counting on for the UEFA Nations League finals which will be held from June 14 to 18 in the Netherlands.

By winning first place in the group with France, Denmark and Austria, Croatia won the Nations League final tournament for the first time in its history, together with Holland, Italy and Spain. Croatia will face the Netherlands in the semi-final on June 14 in Rotterdam, while the second semi-final between Italy and Spain will be played on June 15 in Enschede. The final is scheduled for June 18 in Rotterdam (8:45 pm), and the third-place match is on the same day at 3:00 pm in Enschede.

Coach Dalić invited 24 players with seven potential call-ups, and the final list of 23 players will be sent to UEFA by June 5 at 11:59 pm. Marcelo Brozović will play the Champions League final with Inter on June 10, so he will join the national team after that. The national team gathers on June 5 and will prepare in Rijeka. Then, on June 12, they will travel to Rotterdam.

"The list shows that we trust the proven staff - with minor corrections, it is a list of players who won the bronze medal at the World Cup, and they deserve our trust now. We are aware that at the end of the season, there is noticeable physical and mental fatigue, but ahead of us is a historic opportunity to win the first trophy in the history of our national team, and through this week of preparation, we will try to refresh and prepare the team as much as possible to play the final tournament at the highest possible level," coach Dalić stressed.

"We greatly respect all three national teams that advanced to the final tournament, but we believe in our quality and togetherness. As the host, the Netherlands will be very motivated, but we will also have great support from the stands, which will give us additional strength. We know that a tough job awaits, but we do not hide that when we have already managed to reach this stage of the competition, we want to take those two final steps and thus write history once again," said Dalić.

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković, Ivica Ivušić, Nediljko Labrović

Defenders: Domagoj Vida, Borna Barišić, Josip Juranović, Joško Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanišić, Josip Šutalo, Martin Erlić

Midfielders: Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Marcelo Brozović, Mario Pašalić, Nikola Vlašić, Lovro Majer, Luka Ivanušec

Attackers: Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Bruno Petković, Marko Livaja, Petar Musa, Dion Drena Beljo

Call-ups: Josip Brekalo, Mislav Oršić, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Filip Uremović, Ivo Grbić, Nikola Moro, Matija Frigan

Source:  HNS

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

April 24, 2023 - Hajduk Juniors failed to take home the UEFA Youth League title after losing to AZ Alkmaar in the final (5-0). 

It was a historic final for both teams. After beating AC Milan (3-1), Hajduk became the first Croatian club in history to reach the final of any UEFA club competition in any category. The Fair Cities Cup, won by Dinamo in 1967, was not a UEFA competition then. AZ also became the first Dutch team to play in the final of this competition. In the semi-final, they eliminated Sporting Lisbon on penalties.

Hajduk's juniors had incredible support from the stands. Over 10,000 fans occupied Geneva since morning, and the club's famous songs could be heard throughout the city.

Hajduk had a difficult journey on the way to this historic success. They kicked out Gabala and Apollonia without much difficulty before meeting European giants. Hajduk beat Shakhtar and Manchester City at Poljud and Borussia Dortmund away.

AZ Alkmaar also knocked out big teams on the way to the final, beating Eintracht Frankfurt (5-0), Barcelona (3-0), and Real Madrid (4-0).

The final tournament was initially supposed to be played in Nyon, Switzerland, but due to the great interest of the fans, UEFA moved it to Geneva and a stadium with 30,000 seats.

Lineups

Hajduk: Buljan, Š. Hrgović, Vušković, Jurić-Petrašilo, Đolonga, Capan, Kavelj, Vrcić, Pukštas, Brajković, Antunović

AZ Alkmaar: Owusu-Oduro, Goes, Beukers, Mastoras, Addai, Kwakman, Schouten, Smit, de Jong, Poku, Daal

Match report

Buljan had to make his first save in the 2nd minute, and Hajduk played nervously in the first five minutes when they finally had their first corner. 

Hrgovic shot from 20 meters at the AZ keeper a few minutes later.

Buljan had to make another save in the 16th minute, and AZ had three attempts on target compared to Hajduk's one at this point in the match. By the 20th minute, AZ showed much more. They play maturely, organized, and controlled the game. Hajduk concentrated on defense and relied on counters. 

Another dangerous attempt by AZ in the 30th minute saw Buljan make another flying save to keep the result 0-0. And another close call just three minutes later. 

In the 44th minute, an unnecessary foul by Vuskovic in the penalty area resulted in a penalty for AZ and the 1-0 lead just before halftime. 

The second half started. Meerdink entered instead of Daal, while Hajduk made no changes.

Kavelj received a yellow card in the 50th and Hajduk had a great chance in the 54th minute. Vrcić broke through on the right side and played in the middle, but Pukštas couldn't get a shot off. 

AZ completely controlled the match and Hajduk waited for a counterattack. But that plan failed. Hajduk was down 3-0 by the 76th minute. And 4-0 by the 79th. 

The Hajduk juniors entered the final with high expectations, but the Dutch club was superior for the entirety of the match. In the end, they deservedly celebrated. Even though the final ended 5-0, this historic success is worth celebrating, and Hajduk's young side will be welcomed in Split at 6 pm. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 21, 2023 - The Hajduk Juniors side made Croatian football history tonight, beating AC Milan 3-1 in the UEFA Youth League semi-final! The young Hajduk side will play in the final on Monday against AZ Alkmaar. 

Hajduk was the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of the Youth Champions League and the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of any UEFA competition since Hajduk's seniors played in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1983/1984 season. Tonight, they continued to write history. 

On their way to the UEFA Youth League finals, Hajduk knocked out football giants including Shakhtar, Manchester City, and Borussia Dortmund.

The UEFA Youth League finals are usually played at the Colovray Sports Center in Nyon, the headquarters of UEFA. This year, due to the extremely high interest of the participating clubs, the games were held at the FC Servette stadium in Geneva.

Earlier today, AZ Alkmaar beat Sporting Lisbon on penalties for a spot in the final. 

Lineups

Hajduk: Buljan, Đolonga, Jurić-Petrašilo, Vušković, Š. Hrgović, Pukštas, Kavelj, Skoko, Vrcić, Antunović, Brajković

Milan: Nava, Bozzolan, Nsiala-Makengo, Coubis, Casali, Stalmach, Eletu, Zeroli, Cuenca, El Hilali, Sia

Match report

Both sides played cautiously for the first 15 or so minutes, though Hajduk had better chances. Vrcic just missed a great ball in the box from Pukstas in the 18th minute. Milan finally showed up in the 38th minute and began pressing Hajduk's defense, but Hajduk reacted well with counterattacks. The first half ended 0-0. 

Everything changed in the second half. A quick goal from Vrcic in the 51st minute put Hajduk ahead, followed by a stunning header into the goal by Pukstas in the 69th. Hrgovic made it 3-0 for the Split club just 7 minutes later! 

While the winner was all but confirmed at this point, Milan did find the back of the next in the 83rd minute, and Hajduk goalkeeper Buljan had to make some stellar saves to make sure that didn't happen again. 

With five minutes of stoppage time added, Milan had no luck, and Hajduk advanced to their historic UEFA Youth League final on Monday!  

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 20, 2023 - The Hajduk Juniors will play in the semi-finals of the UEFA Youth League final tournament on Friday, April 21, against the young AC Milan side. 

All matches are played at Servette FC stadium in Geneva. Sporting and AZ Alkmaar will play in the first semi-final match, while Hajduk will meet Milan in the second on Friday at 6 pm. 

The Hajduk U19s qualified for the 'Youth Champions League' semi-finals after defeating Borussia Dortmund on penalties at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Milan advanced to the semis with a 2-0 victory against Atletico Madrid.

The young Hajduk side trained at Poljud until Wednesday when UEFA's production team arrived to film a short documentary about their journey to the semi-finals and the Split club itself.

"They will follow the young Hajduk players and their activities from the last training session at Poljud stadium until the departure and landing in Switzerland, where on Friday, they will have the support of over 3,500 fans who have bought tickets for the Hajduk sector," said Index.hr earlier this week. 

Hajduk coach Marijan Budimir took 24 players to compete in the final tournament: Ivan Bosančić, Borna Buljan, Davyd Fesyuk, Niko Đolonga, Mateo Jurić-Petrašilo, Luka Vušković, Boško Jemo, Marko Capan, Mate Antunović, Jere Vrcić, Roko Brajković, Šimun Hrgović, Noa Skoko, Rokas Pukštas, Domagoj Begonja, Tomislav Arković, Duje Reić, Nino Duić, Krešimir Nazor, Niko Pavić, Marin Ćalušić, Mark Hrvojević, Frane Bobanović and Ante Kavelj.

Šimun Hrgović will try to continue a series of excellent games in this elite European competition.

"Our first goal is to get to the final. I have played all the previous Youth Champions League matches, and now we have reached the semi-finals, and we are proud of that. Of course, Milan is a respectable opponent, but we want to finish this," said the young Hajduk player.

Hajduk's assistant coach Zvonimir Milić pointed out that it is an exceptional honor to represent one's club, city, and country on the big stage.

"In two seasons of the Youth Champions League, we played 12 games and were never defeated in 90 minutes. All the players are available this time, which we are thrilled and grateful for, and the fact that many fans will be cheering us on in Geneva gives us special satisfaction," said Milić.

Hajduk is the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of the Youth Champions League and the first from Croatia to reach the semi-finals of any UEFA competition since Hajduk's seniors played in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1983/1984 season. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 15, 2023 - Hajduk U19s are in the semi-final of the UEFA Youth Champions League!

In the quarter-final match at Signal Iduna Park in Germany, Hajduk U19s defeated Borussia Dortmund on penalties. After 90 minutes it was 1-1, and Marijan Budimir's team won 9-8 on pens after a wild shootout.

Dortmund maintained possession throughout the match while Hajduk had more chances. Hajduk had its first serious attempt in the 21st minute when Roko Brajković's left-footed shot went just short of the goal post. Hajduk missed an even bigger chance in the 64th minute. 

A more concrete game by Hajduk finally resulted in a goal in the 72nd minute. Brajković precisely crossed from the right side to Mate Antunović who found the back of the net with a beautiful header for the lead! 

However, Borussia came back only four minutes later. Julian Rijkhoff accurately executed the penalty kick after Tomislav Arković fouled Michel Ludwig.  Hajduk was not swayed by that goal, and they were close to winning even before the penalty shootout. Brunner almost shook his own net after Hrgović's cross hit the top of the crossbar and was saved by the Dortmund defense.

The drama of penalties did not prove to be a problem for Hajduk. During the eight rounds, both sides were infallible, but in the ninth, Hajduk's goalkeeper Borna Buljan saved Filippo Mane's shot, while Ante Kavelj scored for the big celebration! 

With this victory against Borussia Dortmund, the Hajduk U19s qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA Youth League. Hajduk has thus made history and became the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of this competition. 

The final tournament will be played in Nyon, Switzerland, from April 21 to 24. In addition to Hajduk, Sporting, AZ Alkmaar, and AC Milan advanced to the semi-finals.

On April 21, Hajduk will play against AC Milan, while Sporting and AZ will compete in the second semi-final. 

The final is scheduled for three days later, on April 24. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February 28, 2023 - Hajduk Juniors brilliantly knock out Manchester City and advance to the UEFA Youth League quarterfinals!

The Hajduk juniors side met the powerful Manchester City in the UEFA Youth League round of 16 at Poljud. Recall, Hajduk reached the round of 16 after beating Shakhtar.

Coach Marijan Budimir's team was without its standard stopper Luka Vušković and captain Marko Capan, but welcomed the return of Roko Brajković from the first team.

More than 3,000 tickets were sold for this match until yesterday evening, and many of the Hajduk season ticket holders made their way to Poljud today. Torcida was also in full force. 

Lineups

Hajduk: Buljan - Đolonga, Jurić-Petrašilo, Arković, Hrgović - Kavelj, Reić - Brajković, Skoko, Vrcić - Antunović

Manchester City: Murray-Jones - Samuel, Burns, Katongo, Galvez - Adam, Charles, Bobb - Mebude, Dickson, Borges

To no one's surprise, the favorites were City in this match, but Hajduk came out to prove they are a force to be reckoned with. 

A great opportunity for Hajduk came already in the 6th minute. Reić found Vrcić through the middle in front of City goalkeeper Murray-Jones, but the shot was saved. 

The first half was even and Hajduk showed that it was a good match for City. In the 15th minute, Mebude broke through the right side and shot, but luckily the ball went over Hajduk's goal. City threatened again a few minutes later, but it was Hajduk to take the lead first.

After Murray-Jones intercepted a long pass about 20 meters from his own goal, Brajković ran onto the rebound and sent it into an empty net from the first touch. Hajduk was up 1-0 in the 24th minute! 

And just when Poljud got done celebrating the first goal - their second found the back of the net! Antunovic found space in the defense to score near post for 2-0! 

Hajduk's defense did well to keep any danger away from their goal, but the 19-year-old wonderkid Oscar Bobb was left alone in the penalty area to score for 2-1 at the half. 

City tried hard to equalize in the second half, with several opportunities saved by Hajduk's solid defense. Hajduk had a good chance in the 49th minute. Hrgović passed on the left side and found Antunović in the penalty area, but he shot wide of the goal. 

Hajduk made their first substitutions in the 59th minute - Reić and Skoko went out for Čalušić and Nazor. City made their first subs in the 63rd minute - Oboavwoduo came on for Adam.

Hajduk didn't really have a chance at goal in the second half apart from Antunović's in the 49th minute. City had some good chances from dangerous free kicks, but nothing found the back of the net. 

And then a spurt of chaos in the 84th minute - Finley Burns was sent off with a red card. City was playing with a man down for the remainder of the match. 

A dangerous free kick for City in the 86th minute finished without success. Four minutes of stoppage time were added, and Hajduk held their own for the 2-1 victory! 

Hajduk will play in the quarter-finals against the winner of Borussia Dortmund and PSG. If Hajduk advances, they will play away in the quarter-final. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

November 3, 2022 -  Dinamo needed a miracle to continue playing in Europe this season, but a loss against Chelsea on Wednesday night in London resulted in a last-place finish in their Champions League group. 

Chelsea beat Dinamo 2-1 in the 6th round of Group E of the Champions League, thus eliminating the Zagreb team from playing in Europe this season. 

Dinamo could have finished 3rd in the standings and continued in the Europa League only by beating Chelsea and if Milan beat RB Salzburg. Milan did beat the Austrian champion 4-0 at home, but Dinamo could not do the same at Stamford Bridge. 

Bruno Petković put Dinamo in the lead in the seventh minute, but Chelsea turned the score around by the end of the first half. Raheem Sterling scored in the 18th minute and Denis Zakaria in the 30th.

Dinamo thus finished the competition with one win, one draw, and four losses.

Chelsea finished first in Group E and Milan in second, advancing to the Champions League round of 16. RB Salzburg will continue playing in the Europa League.

The Croatian champion secured huge earnings this European season, reports Index.hr. Entry into the Champions League group stage brought Dinamo a minimum of 15.64 million euros, and another 2.8 million was received after beating Chelsea at the start of the competition. Furthermore, a draw in the fourth round against Salzburg brought Dinamo another 930,000 euros.

But that's not all. Each participant in the Champions League will receive a share of 600.6 million euros, which UEFA will distribute based on the club's coefficient in the last ten years. This amount will be divided into "coefficient shares," and each share is worth 1,137 million euros.

The best-ranked club in the Champions League will receive 32 of these shares, and according to the club coefficient, the lowest-ranked club will receive one share. There, Dinamo will receive 6.28 million euros.

Money from the marketing pool also goes into this. UEFA has secured an additional 300.3 million euros for Champions League participants, which will be distributed by the proportional value of the market in each club's country. When everything is added up, Dinamo will earn more than 25 million euros in the Champions League this season.

Champions League Round of 16

Group winners: Bayern Munich, Benfica, Chelsea, FC Porto, Manchester City, Napoli, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur
Group runners-up: AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Eintracht Frankfurt, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig

Drops into Europa League: Ajax, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Salzburg, Juventus, Sevilla, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting CP

Eliminated from Europe: Atletico Madrid, Celtic, FC Copenhagen, Dinamo Zagreb, Maccabi Haifa, Marseille. Rangers, Viktoria Plzen

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 25, 2022 - Croatia beats Austria 3:1 in Vienna for a spot in the UEFA Nations League finals! Croatia thus finished at the top of Group 1 and is among the final four teams in the Nations League A. 

Croatia and Austria met on Sunday night at the Ernst Happel stadium for the last match in the UEFA Nations League group stage. 

The Austrian Football Association announced that more than 40,000 tickets had been sold, but the bigger news was that around 20,000 fans would be cheering for Croatia, even though Austria predicted 2,700 tickets for the visiting team. 

After beating Denmark in Zagreb on Thursday, the road to the Nations League Finals was clear. Croatia would secure first place in Group 1 and the final tournament with the victory against Austria. With a loss or a draw, Croatia would also advance, however, only if Denmark did not beat France in Copenhagen at the same time.

Recall, Croatia defeated Denmark twice and France once, after opening the competition with an unpleasant defeat in Osijek against Austria. It was Austria's only victory in the group, while they took a point against France and lost their other three matches. 

Lineups

Austria: Lindner, Trimmel, Posch, Danso, Alaba, Baumgartner, Seiwald, X.Schlager, Sabitzer, Arnautović, Gregoritsch

Croatia: Livaković, Stanišić, Lovren, Gvardiol, Barišić, Modrić, Brozović, Kovačić, Vlašić, Budimir, Perišić 

Match Report

Croatia's first attack came in the 3rd minute, which resulted in a corner kick. Modric found Brozovic, who missed the ball and gave Austria a quick counterattack. 

Croatia regained possession, and Perisic moved quickly up the left wing before cutting into the box but failed to get a shot off.  

Croatia's brilliant start of the game was rewarded with a goal in the 6th minute. Vlasic masterfully won the ball in the midfield to find captain Luka Modric to score for 0:1 Croatia! 

But a wake-up call for Croatia came two minutes later. A hospital ball from Stanisic to an Austria player found Baumgartner for 1:1. 

More bad news came for Croatia in the 16th minute. Brozovic overextended his left leg and immediately dropped to the ground. The player called to be subbed off for what looked like a hamstring injury. Lovro Majer was subbed on in the 18th minute. 

Arnautovic weakly shot at Livakovic from 20 meters out in the 22nd minute. 

Austria's best chance came a minute later. Baumgartner shot between Croatia's stoppers and missed just wide of the goal. A lucky miss for Croatia. 

Austria possessed well and had another close chance in the 35th minute. A misunderstanding between Livaković and Gvardiol saw them awkwardly collide. The ball came to Baumgartner, who turned to shoot but luckily went over the goal.

Austria looked better as the half progressed, and Livakovic brilliantly saved Croatia from a goal after Arnautovic was one-on-one with the Croatia keeper. 

Vlasic brought some life back for Croatia with a shot in the 45th minute. Four minutes of stoppage time were added to the half.  The match went into halftime at 1:1.

The second half started without any changes for either team. Perisic was shown a yellow card in the 47th minute. 

Budimir fell in the penalty area in the 53rd minute, but there wasn't enough contact to be called for a penalty. 

Croatia attacked well in the 55th minute. Modric played through to Vlasic, who crossed in the box to Budimir, but the Austria defense prevented a shot. 

Austria was awarded a free kick in the 58th minute but shot into Croatia's wall. The ref called for another free kick for Austria, this time in closer range to the goal. Lovren was shown a yellow card for intentionally playing with his hand. A double block by the Croatia defense stopped the play. 

Dalic subbed on Marko Livaja for Ante Budimmir and Borna Sosa for Borna Barisic in the 62nd minute. Wober, Lainer, and Cham entered for Arnautović, Posch, and Trimmel. 

A great attack for Croatia saw Kovacic get a shot off which was deflected for a corner. 

Another incredible save by Livakovic from a Gregoritsch header. 

Perisic was one-on-one with the Austria defense in the 66th minute and forced a corner. 

But then it finally happened. Croatia's midfield found Perisic on the left, who crossed far post to Livaja. Livaja moved behind the Austria defender and headed near post into the goal for 1:2 Croatia in the 69th minute! 

And then another Croatia corner in the 71st minute. Modric played short to Majer, who found Lovren alone far post. A diving header into the opposite side of the goal, and it was 1:3 for Croatia! 

Croatia played smart in the last 10 minutes, keeping possession of the ball without any unnecessary risks.

Kramarić and Pašalić were subbed on for Kovačić and Vlašić in the 84th minute. 

Three minutes of stoppage time were added to the end of the match and the match ended 1:3 for Croatia! 

With this result, Croatia finishes at the top of Group 1 and advances to the UEFA Nations League Finals! The final tournament will be held from 14 to 18 June 2023 and will feature the four group winners of Nations League A. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 22, 2022 - Croatia beats Denmark 2:1 in Zagreb and moves to the top of their Nations League group! 

Croatia and Denmark met at a sold-out Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb on Thursday night in the 5th round of the Nations League.  

Before tonight's match, Demark led the group with nine points, while Croatia was two points behind with 7. A win would bring them to the top of the group. 

Croatia also played for the first time in their new kits, which they will wear at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

The winner of the group travels to the Nations League final tournament, which is scheduled for June next year, while the bottom team moves to League B.

Before the national anthems, recently retired national team member Šime Vrsaljko was honored by the Croatian Football Federation. 22,715 fans were in attendance. 

Lineups

Croatia (4-3-3): Livaković - Juranović, Josip Šutalo, Gvardiol, Sosa - Modrić, Brozović, Kovačić - Pašalić, Kramarić, Perišić

Denmark (4-3-3): Schmeichel - Andersen, A. Christensen, Kjaer, Maehle - Wass, Höjbjerg, Delaney - Skov Olsen, Eriksen, Braithwaite

Match Report

Luka had the first attack of the match in the 2nd minute and played up the pitch with Kramaric. Luka took the ball to the goal line and got Croatia's first corner. Luka sent the ball in, but Sosa played back into the box to find Gvardiol's head. Brozovic shot over the goal in the 5th minute. 

Perisic and Kramaric played up the left wing in Croatia's next attack, but Perisic played to the keeper. In the 7th minute, Mario Pasalic sent the ball in front of the opponent's goal, but it was cleared by the defense. 

Denmark finally began possessing from the 10th minute. Sosa cleared a dangerous shot by Eriksen and Croatian regained possession. Luka was brilliant again in the 15th minute, dribbling into the Denmark box and crossing into the penalty area. No Croatia player could get to the ball quick enough. Denmark then forced a quick counter which resulted in their first corner. 

Croatia's best chance came in the 16th minute when Perisic crossed into the box from the goal line. The ball was then played out to Kovacic, who shanked over the goal. 

Perisic's shot in the 21st minute also went over the goal. Daniel Wass had a great chance for Denmark in the next play but just missed the goal.

Another great attack for Croatia in the 25th minute went out for a corner. The ball ultimately found Gvardiol's head but went out of play. 

Livakovic saved a dangerous chance from Denmark in the 34th minute. Joakim Maehle fought for space but show low in the middle of the goal and straight into Livakovic's hands.

Ivan Perišić received a yellow card in the 36th minute. 

Eriksen shot from outside the box in the 38th minute, forcing Livakovic to punch the ball out for a corner. 

Croatia kept possession with short passes and waited for a hole in the defense. The match ended 0:0 at halftime. 

The second half started without any changes. 

Croatia's first corner of the second half came in the 47th minute. The ball came out to Borna Sosa at the top of the box, who shot low in the bottom left corner of the goal for 1:0 Croatia!

Kramaric shot from a distance in the next attack but went over the goal.  

Modric was fouled on the edge of the box in the 56th minute. Perisic shot low near post but hit the outside net. 

Denmark made their first subs in the 60th minute. Mikkel Damsgaard came on for Martin Braithwaite, Rasmus Hojlund for Thomas Delaney, and  Rasmus Kristensen for Daniel Wass.

Luka and Perisic had a great play in the 65th minute, and Luka's shot was blocked by the Denmark keeper. Kramaric tried to score on his own in the next attack but played to the Denmark defense. 

Kovacic missed a great opportunity in the 69th minute.

Dalic subbed off Pasalic, Perisic, and Kramaric for Vlasic, Orsic, and Petkovic in the71st minute. Mathias Jensen was subbed for Simon Kjaer.

A lapse in the Croatia defense gave Eriksen space to shoot in the 77th minute. The Denmark star nailed the upper corner of the goal to tie the game. 

Mateo Kovačić was replaced by Lovro Majer in the 79th minute, which resulted in a goal seconds after he entered the pitch. Majer shot with his left foot into the right corner of the goal for 2:1 Croatia! 

Croatia's defense cleared a dangerous Denmark chance in the 84th minute. The play continued and Livakovic kept the game a 2:1. 

Denmark was hungry to equalize, but Croatia remained solid. Vlasic had a chance in the 90th minute, and the ref added 4 mins of stoppage time. Denmark had a scary chance in the final minutes.  

Luka Modric was subbed off in the 2nd minute of stoppage time for Domagoj Vida. 

The match ended 2:1 for Croatia! Croatia plays Austria next on Sunday in Vienna. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

 September 6, 2022 - Dinamo beat Chelsea 1-0 in the first round of the Champions League Group E at Maksimir Stadium in front of 20,607 spectators.

Dinamo Zagreb opened their eighth appearance in the Champions League group stage at Maksimir stadium with a victory against former European and English champions Chelsea. The deciding goal was scored by Mislav Oršić in the 13th minute.

Chelsea won direct placement in the Champions League after finishing third place in the Premier League last season. The Croatian champion played three qualifying rounds to secure a place among the European football elite. They clinched a spot in the group stage after beating Bodo/Glimt. 

Chelsea took the initiative from the first minute, but it didn't take long for Dinamo to answer back. In the 13th minute, Dinamo countered and converted the attack into a goal by Mislav Oršić.

The action started with Robert Ljubičić, who sent a long ball to Bruno Petković. Bruno passed it to Oršić, who dribbled past Wesley Fofana, a new Chelsea player who arrived from Leicester City for 82 million euros. Oršić ran about 50 meters and beat goalkeeper Kepa for 1:0!

Chelsea equalized in the 48th minute, but Aubameyang's goal was ultimately called offside. In the 56th minute, Dinamo was one step closer to a second goal, but Stefan Ristovski's fantastic shot hit the crossbar.

Reece James also hit the post in the 85th minute. Mateo Kovačić played for Chelsea until the 59th minute.

RB Salzburg and Milan meet in the second match from this group at 21:00.

Dinamo plays their next Champions League match on Wednesday, September 14, at San Siro against Milan. 

Lineups

DINAMO: Livaković - Ristovski, Perić, J. Šutalo - Moharrami, Mišić, Ademi, Ljubičić - Ivanušec - Petković, Oršić

CHELSEA: Arrizabalaga - Azpilicueta, Koulibaly, Fofana - James, Kovačić, Mount, Chilwell - Havertz, Sterling - Aubameyang

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