NATIONS LEAGUE. Kroatië haalt dankzij draw tegen Portugal kwartfinales, Polen degradeert uit A-divisie from

NATIONS LEAGUE: Croatia reaches quarter-finals, Poland relegated to the second tier

Croatia's hard-fought draw between Portugal secures a spot in the quarter-finals.

Croatia earned a hard-fought 0-0 draw against 10-man Portugal in Split on Tuesday, which was enough to secure a place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals.

The result also meant that Portugal was eliminated from the competition, while Poland was relegated to League B after losing 1-0 to Italy in Warsaw.

Croatia finished top of Group A3 with 13 points, one ahead of Portugal. Italy was third with 8 points, while Poland finished bottom with just one point.

Match highlights:

Croatia started the match brightly and created a number of chances, but they were unable to find a way past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Portugal was reduced to 10 men in the 30th minute when Joao Cancelo was sent off for a second bookable offense.
Despite being a man down, Portugal continued to create chances, but they were unable to find a breakthrough.
The draw means that Croatia has reached the Nations League quarter-finals for the second time in a row.

What's next?

The quarter-finals will be played in June 2023. The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on December 26.

Poland will play in League B of the Nations League in 2024. The draw for League B will be held on April 19, 2024.

Expert Analysis:

The draw was a fair result in the end. Croatia was the better team for large parts of the match, but Portugal always looked dangerous on the counterattack.

Croatia will be a tough opponent for any team in the quarter-finals. They are a well-organized and disciplined team, and they have a number of talented players.

Poland's relegation to League B is a disappointment, but they will be confident of bouncing back next year.

Conclusion:

The draw means Croatia secured a place in the last eight of the UEFA National League. The match was played in a tense atmosphere and there were chances for both sides to snatch the win in the closing stages, but neither team could find a breakthrough. On the other hand, Poland was relegated to the second tier after Italy grabbed all three points in their match.