Croatia secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Czechia after Luka Modrić opened the scoring, with Marco Pašalić’s late header proving decisive in a dramatic finish.
Modrić struck in the 47th minute, seeing his effort take a deflection after Igor Matanović’s assist. Czechia responded seven minutes later when Adam Karabec finished from Adam Hložek’s pass to level the contest.
Croatia continued to dominate possession and eventually found the winner in the 77th minute. Ivan Perišić delivered a dangerous cross and Marco Pašalić rose highest to head home and restore Croatia’s lead.
Czechia thought they had equalised again through Matej Radosta in the 79th minute, but VAR ruled out the goal for offside. The hosts continued pushing until the final whistle, but Croatia held on despite late pressure.
The victory comes after Portugal edged Croatia 2-1 at the 2026 World Cup, a result that sent Portugal through to face Spain in the last 32. Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot before Gonçalo Ramos struck in stoppage time to settle a dramatic contest.
Player Ratings
| Croatia Player | Rating | Czechia Player | Rating |
| Luka Modrić | 7.2 | Robin Hranáč | 6.7 |
| Marco Pašalić | 7.0 | Adam Karabec | 6.6 |
| Ivan Perišić | 6.8 | Štěpán Chaloupek | 6.3 |
| Igor Matanović | 6.3 | Lukáš Horníček | 6.1 |
| Ante Budimir | 6.1 | Adam Hložek | 5.6 |
| Josip Mišić | 6.1 | Matej Radosta | 5.9 |
| Mateo Kovačić | 6.1 | Václav Sejk | 5.1 |
| Joško Gvardiol | 6.0 | Pavel Šulc | 5.2 |
| Petar Sučić | 5.9 | Martin Subert | 5.2 |
| Franjo Ivanović | 5.9 | Alex Král | 4.9 |
| Nikola Vlašić | 5.7 | Michal Sadílek | 4.7 |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Czechia | Croatia |
| Possession | 44% | 56% |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 2 |
| Shots Off Target | 6 | 1 |
| Blocked Shots | 5 | 1 |
| Corners | 1 | 6 |
| Offsides | 6 | 0 |
| Fouls | 6 | 9 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 1 |
| Throw-ins | 25 | 24 |
| Saves | 3 | 1 |
Croatia’s victory was ultimately decided by their greater efficiency, with Modrić’s experience and Pašalić’s late header making the difference in a closely contested encounter.
