Croatia under Slaven Bilic beats Czechia away
Returning to the national team after 14 years, Bilic secured a victory against Czechia in his first UEFA Nations League match.
The Croatia National Team started the tournament with a win, defeating Czechia 2-1 away in their opening match of the UEFA Nations League League A group stage. Head coach Slaven Bilic left the pitch victorious in his first match after a 14-year hiatus.
Controlled First Half
The first half of the match, where both teams took to the pitch under their new head coaches, was played with a controlled style of play. While Croatia built up pressure towards the end of the half and created significant opportunities with Luka Sucic and Petar Sucic, goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek did not allow a goal.
The Goal From Luka Modric
Croatia took the lead right at the beginning of the second half. Luka Modric, who met the ball after Igor Matanovic intercepted a faulty pass by the Czech defense, entered the penalty box and sent a hard shot into the far corner of the net.
Czechia Equalized
The host team Czechia managed to convert their first serious opportunity into a goal. Adam Karabec, meeting the ball in the center of the penalty area with a pass from Adam Hlozek, beat goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic to tie the score in the match.
The Winner From Pasalic
While Czechia failed to capitalize on a chance to take the lead through Matej Radosta, Croatia regained the upper hand in the final stretch of the match. Rising well at the far post from Ivan Perisic's cross, Marco Pasalic headed the ball across the line to put his team 2-1 ahead.
Bilic's Successful Return
As no further goals were scored in the remaining minutes, Slaven Bilic walked away with a 2-1 victory from his first match with the Croatia National Team, which he returned to lead after 14 years. With this result, Croatia started the tournament with three points.