Croatia come from behind to win in Wales
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Article summary
Wales 1-2 Croatia
Dejan Lovren cancelled out Gareth Bale's first-half penalty before Eduardo snatched maximum points with a superb 87th-minute volley.
Article top media content
Article body
Croatia came from behind to beat Wales thanks to Eduardo's late volley and remain level on points with Belgium at the top of FIFA World Cup qualifying Group A.
Gareth Bale converted a first-half penalty after Dejan Lovren brought down Joe Ledley, but the Croatia defender made up for his error with a sweetly struck equaliser after the break. The game seemed destined for a draw, only for Eduardo's 87th-minute intervention to earn maximum points for the visitors.
Buoyed by their victory against Serbia on Friday, Croatia started on the front foot and came close to the opening goal through Sammir, but the GNK Dinamo Zagreb forward's shot was deflected wide. Moments later, Eduardo missed a gilt-edged chance to wrest the lead as Boaz Myhill repelled his close-range header.
However, Wales had shown glimpses of their attacking threat and forged ahead against the run of play when Bale scored from the spot after Ledley was felled by Lovren, who was booked as a result and misses the next game against Scotland in June. Igor Štimac's side continued to create opportunities and almost equalised, yet Milan Badelj's deflected strike drifted agonisingly wide with Myhill rooted to the spot.
Bale should have doubled Wales's advantage shortly before the interval but, having expertly collected a long pass and raced clear, the Tottenham Hotspur FC man fired over with only Stipe Pletikosa to beat. Croatia dominated possession at the beginning of the second half and might have levelled when Eduardo drove in low from the edge of the box, but Myhill tipped the ball over the crossbar.
They did not have to wait long for the equaliser, though, as with 13 minutes remaining Lovren redeemed himself for his earlier mistake with a swerving long-range effort that proved too hot for Myhill to handle.
Substitute Ivica Olić spurned a late chance before Eduardo volleyed through Myhill's legs to clinch the win. Croatia host Scotland on 7 June, while Chris Coleman's Wales resume their campaign in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 6 September.
