France overcame a two-goal deficit to qualify for the Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia, winning 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France on Sunday.
Dayot Upamecano scored the decisive penalty in a tense shootout in which France goalkeeper Mike Maignan made two crucial saves, propelling Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain.
Michael Olise opened the scoring, and Ousmane Dembélé sealed the win with a second goal just 10 minutes before the end of regulation, sending the match into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split on Thursday.
Playing with confidence and pressing high, France started strong and finally converted some of their opportunities in the second half, with their attacking players working well together throughout the match.
During the shootout, Maignan, known for his penalty-saving abilities, saved attempts from Martin Baturina and Josip Stanisic, while Franjo Ivanovic sent his shot over the bar.
Although Theo Hernandez and Jules Koundé missed their penalties for France, Kylian Mbappé, Aurelien Tchouameni, Randal Kolo Muani, Désiré Doué, and Upamecano all scored.
“We woke up this morning confident it could be a great night,” Mbappé said. “We were convinced we could do it, and we needed a game like this to reconnect with our fans.”
France will meet Spain in the Semifinals.
