Josko Gvardiol's crucial steal secures Croatia's spot in Nations League quarter-finals

Josko Gvardiol learned that perseverance pays off in Paris, where he tried and tried again until he succeeded.

On Nov 18, the Croatia defender continued his scoring streak to earn his side a 1-1 home draw with Portugal that allowed them to squeak into the Nations League quarter-finals.

Portugal had already sealed top spot in Group A1. The draw allowed Croatia to finish one point above Scotland, who continued their late surge with a 2-1 win over Poland in Warsaw.

In Group A4, Spain, already assured of qualification, beat last-placed Switzerland 3-2 in Tenerife. Denmark secured second place in the group with a 0-0 draw in Serbia.

Back in Split, Portugal took a 33rd-minute lead when Joao Felix neatly finished a sharp counter-attack.

With Scotland winning in Warsaw after a third-minute goal from John McGinn, set up by teenager Ben Doak, Croatia were heading out.

Gvardiol, ghosting at the far post, had a header on 62 minutes disallowed for offside. He did not give up and repeated the move three minutes later, sneaking in unmarked and onside to squeeze a close-range shot through Jose Sa.

Gvardiol, a defender, has three goals in his last six English Premier League games for Manchester City and showed he can do the same on the international stage.

“It felt like two different games for us,” said the 22-year-old.

“In the first half, we seemed a bit tired and needed to make changes. The second half was much better – we had more energy, better control of the ball, and created more chances and we managed to score a goal.”

Almost simultaneously in Warsaw, Kamil Piatkowski rocketed a cross shot into the top far corner of the Scottish goal to level for Poland.

In the 73rd minute in Split, left-back Nuno Mendes nearly emulated Gvardiol for Portugal but goalie Dominik Livakovic blocked.

In Warsaw, Andy Robertson headed home in added time to give Scotland a second win in four days, but Croatia comfortably saw out the draw they needed.

“I told the boys they earned this result through their hard work, though it seems we always have to struggle for it,” said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic.

“While there might have been a results crisis, there was never a crisis in our play.”

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez, meanwhile, was happy with the competitiveness in his team.

“I feel very proud; in football, it is very challenging to make seven changes and still maintain the team’s ideas and tactical concepts,” he said.

“It is normal for Croatia to play at home and try to react in the second half. I am proud of what we accomplished. Three more players made their debuts for the national team, including Nuno Tavares against Poland. I believe we have opened the door to competitiveness in the national team.”

Scotland go into a play-off to save their League A status. Poland are relegated.

Scotland coach Steve Clarke said he was happy with his country’s improvement.

“We started with three defeats, three narrow defeats, with good performances,” he added.

“The players didn’t lose belief, I didn’t lose belief in the players and they end up taking seven points from the last three games which gets us into the play-off.”

In Leskovac in Serbia, the hosts needed to win to overtake visiting Denmark and reach the quarter-finals.

On a night when both goalkeepers, Dorde Petrovic and Kasper Schmeichel, were in eye-catching form, Serbia had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

The goalkeeping was less spectacular in Luxembourg in League C, where Northern Ireland blew a two-goal lead in Luxembourg to draw 2-2 but topped Group 3 when Bulgaria threw away a lead and drew 1-1 in Sofia against Belarus.

In Group 2, Romania beat Cyprus 4-1 in Bucharest to stay top of the group, two points ahead of Kosovo, who beat Lithuania 1-0 in Pristina despite playing the second half with 10 men. AFP