In the match valid for the ninth round of the European Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Croatia hosted the Faroe Islands this Friday (14), in Rijeka, beat their opponents 3-1 and secured their place in the intercontinental competition.
The visiting team opened the scoring with Géza Dávid Turi. Afterwards, the Croatians turned the match around thanks to goals from Josko Gvardiol, Petar Musa and Nikola Vlasic.
With the result, Croatia took the lead in group L, with 19 points, in a campaign of six wins and just one defeat. The Czech Republic, currently in second place, has 13 points and can no longer overtake the Croatian team.
The goals of the game
Playing away from home, the Faroe Islands surprised the home team and took the lead in Rijeka. Midfielder Géza Dávid Turi started in the middle and took a risk from outside the area. The ball deflected off the Croatian defense and ended up in the back of the net.
The Faroese joy was short-lived as Croatia equalized at the 23-minute mark. Defender Josko Gvardiol took advantage of a free pass in the area, cleared the line and crossed the ball to make the score 1-1.
On the way back from the break, striker Petar Musa received a pass from full-back Josip Stanisic in the area and finished well to turn the game around. Confirmation of the victory came in the 25th minute, when midfielder Nikola Vlasic completed a cross from the left and gave final results to the duel.
