UEFA Nations League: Croatia to take on Netherlands in semi-final clash
Jun 14, 2023
Rotterdam [Netherlands], June 14 : In the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League, Croatia will take on the Netherlands at the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam on Thursday.
Netherlands ranked at World No.6 and Croatia at World No.7, will fight hard to secure a place in the final of the UEFA Nations League.
In the UEFA Nations League, the Dutch won five of their six group games, drawing the other.
They're up against a Croatian side who are no strangers to battling the bigger names, having picked up four points from two games against France in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League and making it through the semi-final.
Croatia may have made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup, but concerns are over their ability to win games inside 90 minutes. A feat they accomplished just once before their elimination against Argentina in the semi-final of the FIFA World Cup is understandable, and the absence of Gvardiol at the back will undoubtedly hurt.
Argentina also saw off the Netherlands in Qatar but needed penalties to get there in what was one of the most entertaining World Cup matches in history. They boast the more in-form attack of the two sides, including Eredivisie superstar Xavi Simons and Liverpool hitman Cody Gakpo, and that may just prove the difference.
Netherlands squad: Bijlow; Dumfries, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Ake, De Roon, De Jong, Wijnaldum, Bergwijn, Gakpo, Simons.
Croatia's squad: Livakovic; Juranovic, Sutalo, Erlic, Sosa, Kovacic, Brozovic, Modric, Pasalic, Kramaric, Perisic.
