PARIS: Josko Gvardiol continued his scoring streak to earn Croatia a 1-1 home draw with Portugal on Monday 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.

Liverpool fullback Andy Robertson scored an injury time header to give Scotland the victory and send the hosts down into League B. Scotland have a playoff to secure their League A status.

In Group A4, Spain, already assured of qualification, beat last-placed Switzerland 3-2 in a match of penalty kicks in Tenerife.

Denmark secured second place in the group with a 0-0 draw in Serbia.

The quarter-finals will be held from March 20-23.

Croatia needed only a draw to secure qualification but they made the home fans in Split sweat before getting the point they needed against Portugal.

With 32 minutes gone, Joao Felix brought down a superb 45-yard pass from Vitinha and slipped the ball under the advancing keeper to give the visitors the lead.

Rafael Leao then missed the target when clean through.

When Andrej Kramaric hit the post and Gvardiol had a 62nd minute goal ruled out for offside it looked like it might not be Croatia’s night.

Bu Manchester City’s Gvardiol got the equalizer just a few minutes later, sneaking in unmarked and onside to squeeze a close-range shot through Jose Sa, and Croatia held on to take the second quarter-final spot from the group.

“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.”

Gvardiol, a defender, has three goals in his last six Premier League games for City.

“It felt like two different games for us,” said Gvardiol. “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.”

After going nine matches without a win, Scotland appeared rejuvenated as they condemned a Robert Lewandowski-less Poland to League B.

Scotland took just one point from their first four games in Group A1 but beat Croatia at home on Friday and were 1-0 up after three minutes in Warsaw.

Billy Gilmour’s threaded pass found Ben Doak, who rolled the ball to John McGinn to score his second goal in four days.

Scotland hit the woodwork twice in the first half and their inability to open a greater lead almost cost it when Kamil Piatkowski lashed a stunning strike into the top corner of the net to equalise 14 minutes into the second period.

However, Scotland pushed forward for a winner and Robertson headed the decider in the third minute of stoppage time.

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

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

There was little to play for in Tenerife, where Spain, top of Group A4, took on the already relegated Switzerland.

Alvaro Morata’s clever turn won a penalty just after the half-hour. Yvon Mvogo saved Pedri’s low, hard spot kick but, after some pinball, Yeremi Pino, from the neighbouring Canary island of Las Palmas, scored.

Joel Monteiro dribbled through the Spanish defence for a spectacular 63rd-minute equalizer but Bryan Gil got Spain back in front five minutes later.

Andi Zeqiri levelled again, with a penalty five minutes from time, but deep into extra time, Bryan Zaragoza converted Spain’s second spot kick.

For both the Bryans it was a first international goal.

“Here at home with a goal, the win,” said Pino. “I can’t ask for more.”

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

Dusan Vlahovic was in fine form for the home side but the Danes held out to take second spot, eight points behind Spain but two ahead of the Serbs, for whom Strahinja Pavlovic was sent off near the end.

In League C, 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.

In League D, San Marino came from a goal down to beat Liechtenstein 3-1 in Vaduz and edge Gibraltar to first place in Group 1.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024