Croatia and the Netherlands disputed a dramatic first UEFA Nations League semi-final, with Bruno Petkovic and Luka Modric inspiring Croatia a 4-2 win after extra time in Rotterdam.
As a result, Croatia will play the winner of Italy and Spain which takes place on Thursday evening.
If fans thought this was a glorified end-of-season friendly, they were wrong, with players giving their all in the quest for international glory and delivering an end-to-end goalfest.
The game did take a while to warm up, however, but a lovely Dutch move in the 34th minute created space for Donyell Malen to rifle home the opener.
It remained 1-0 at the break but a soft penalty let Croatia back into it 10 minutes after the restart.
This encouraged Croatia and Luka Modric, brought down for the equaliser, started the pull the strings.
The Real Madrid man wasn’t involved in the second goal, however, which was turned in by Kramaric after good build-up play.
It looked like Croatia would see it out but there were to be more twists in this tale when Noa Lang forced extra time in the dying seconds but finishing on the half-volley after the ball had been bouncing around the penalty area.
Extra time heroics
Then, in the first half of extra time, Bruno Petkovic received the ball well and fired home low from long range. A precise and impressive finish worthy of winning the semi-final.
In the second half of extra time, Lang had a sensational chance to level once again, but, unmarked at the back post, put his close range shot into the side netting.
Pasalic then had the chance to kill the game off, but struck the crossbar from six-yards out. But Croatia got their second penalty of the game when Petkovic was brought down by Malacia.
Modric stepped up and made sure of Croatia’s place in the 2023 Nations League final.