Nations League | Holders France held by Croatia to 1-1 draw
The Hindu
Titleholder France failed to rebound from its opening defeat in the Nations League after it was held by Croatia to a 1-1 draw. Adrien Rabiot and Andrej Kramaric were among the goals
Titleholder France failed to rebound from its opening defeat in the Nations League after it was held by Croatia to 1-1 on Monday.
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot broke the deadlock after the break and substitute Andrej Kramarić equalized from the spot late for Croatia not to lose to France for the first time in 11 years.
The draw did neither any favors: France was stunned by Denmark 2-1 in Paris on Friday, the first loss after 20 unbeaten matches, and Croatia started its campaign by losing at home to Austria 3-0.
France will next travel to Austria on Friday while Croatia will visit Denmark, which took sole lead of their League A group.
Denmark made it two from two after beating Austria 2-1 in Vienna. Defender Jens Stryger scored six minutes from the end for Denmark. Xaver Schlager equalized for the hosts after Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s opener. The match was delayed by 90 minutes due to a power failure.
Denmark tops the group with six points, followed by Austria with three. France and Croatia have a point each.
The four group winners in League A will qualify for the final four in June next year. The group winners in the lower leagues will gain promotion.