Croatia successfully contained the attacking duo of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele in a 2-0 victory over France in the first leg of the Nations League quarterfinals Thursday.
Ante Budimir scored the opening goal for Croatia in the 26th minute off a cross from Ivan Perisic despite France goalkeeper Mike Maignan’s efforts to block the ball.
Perišić doubled Croatia’s lead in first-half stoppage time in Split, spoiling Mbappé’s return after a six-month absence from the national team.
Andrej Kramaric missed a penalty for Croatia in the eighth minute, as Maignan managed to make a save despite diving in the wrong direction initially.
Mbappé had several attempts on goal in the first half, but Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic made some crucial saves to deny him. Both Mbappé and Dembélé have surpassed the 30-goal mark this season.
Mbappé, who plays for Real Madrid, led Les Bleus in his first start for the national team since September.
Mbappé is currently third on France’s all-time scoring list with 48 goals, but his recent international goal-scoring record has not been as prolific.
Croatia vs. France UEFA Nations League Highlights | FOX Soccer
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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