Croatia's Impressive Win Stuns France in Nations League Clash

Croatia secured a 2-0 victory over France, with goals from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perišic. Despite French efforts led by Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, Croatia maintained their advantage. In other matches, Germany, Spain, and Denmark also achieved noteworthy results in the Nations League quarterfinals.

In a significant Nations League quarterfinal, Croatia surprised by defeating France 2-0. Ante Budimir's header, assisted by Ivan Perišic, led the way, while Perišic also netted a crucial goal right before halftime.

Despite a valiant effort from France's Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, Croatia's robust defense, spearheaded by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, effectively thwarted their advances. France's return hopes dwindled as their top players struggled against a strong Croatian side.

Elsewhere, Germany rallied to beat Italy, Spain salvaged a draw against the Netherlands, and Denmark edged out Portugal in tight fixtures, setting the stage for thrilling second-leg encounters and a decisive final tournament showdown in June.

(With inputs from agencies.)