Spain, Portugal, and France have secured their spots in the UEFA Nations League semifinals after dramatic quarter-final second-leg matches held on Sunday, eliminating the Netherlands, Denmark, and Croatia respectively.
Spain Defeats the Netherlands on Penalties After a Six-Goal Thriller
Spain claimed a hard-fought win over the Netherlands after a sensational 3-3 draw in regular and extra time.
The first leg also ended 2-2, sending the tie to penalties, where Spain emerged victorious with a 5-4 shootout win.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring early for Spain, only for Memphis Depay to level for the Dutch.
In the second half, Oyarzabal struck again, but Ian Maatsen equalized once more.
In extra time, Lamine Yamal put Spain ahead with a third goal, but Teun Koopmeiners scored a dramatic 109th-minute equalizer for the Netherlands.
The penalty shootout ultimately went Spain’s way.
Portugal Responds to First-Leg Loss With 5-2 Win Over Denmark
In Lisbon, Portugal avenged their first-leg loss to Denmark with a commanding 5-2 victory, sealing a 5-3 aggregate win and setting up a semifinal clash with Germany.
The scoring began with an own goal from Joachim Andersen in the 38th minute.
Denmark equalized through Rasmus Nissen in the 56th, but Cristiano Ronaldo restored Portugal’s lead in the 72nd.
Just four minutes later, Christian Eriksen brought Denmark back with a second equalizer, but Francisco Trincão put Portugal ahead once again in the 86th minute, forcing extra time.
In extra time, the hosts took full control — Trincão scored again in the 91st minute, followed by a fifth goal from Gonçalo Ramos in the 115th to seal the win.
France Edges Past Croatia on Penalties After 2-2 Aggregate Draw
France claimed their semifinal berth after a balanced tie with Croatia ended 2-2 over both legs. In the second leg, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé scored for the French, but the result could not be settled in regulation time.
In the penalty shootout, the French players held their nerve and prevailed 5-4 to book their place in the final four.
With these results, the UEFA Nations League semifinals are now set with four footballing powerhouses: Spain, Portugal, France, and Germany, setting the stage for an electrifying conclusion to the tournament.
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