Croatia have sealed their 4th successive victory in the UEFA Nations League as they defeated Austria with a 3-1 margin at Ernst Happel Stadion. Last night, Austria welcomed Croatia to play their 6th game in the Nations League. But Austria failed to get points at their home. As a result, Austria stand at the bottom of the point table, while Croatia remained at the top.
Match Report
Last night, Croatia traveled to Austria to play their 6th match. Zlatko Dalic, the manager of Croatia, set up the team formation with 4-3-3. Ivan Perisic, A. Budimir, and Vlasic played as the front three. Moreover, the manager deployed Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic with Luka Modric in the midfield. On the other hand, Austria boss Ralf Rangnick played his team in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Although Austria were the home team, Croatia didn’t take much time to take control of the match. The visitors took the lead at the beginning of the game as midfield maestro Luka Modric found the net in the 6th minute. However, Austria immediately found the equalizer within three minutes. Striker Christoph Baumgartner scored the equalizing goal in the 9th minute with the help of Sabitzer.
Both teams couldn’t find the net in the remaining minutes of the first half. So, the first half ended in a 1-1 tie. But Croatia started dominating after returning from the break. The manager made several changes in the 2nd half that boosted Croatia’s performance on the field. They made some crucial chances after the interval. Due to the high press, Austria lost tempo and became a bit shaky in defense.
As a result, Croatia took advantage and scored another goal. In the 69th minute, Marko Livaja scored that goal for Croatia with the help of Ivan Perisic. The visitor got another goal within three minutes as Dejan Lovren beat Austria’s goalkeeper in the 72nd minute. After that, Austria tried hard to score a goal. But Croatia defended very well and didn’t concede another one. Therefore, Croatia got their 4th successive victory in the Nations League, meanwhile, Austria lost three matches in a row.
