Croatia 1-1 Wales: Nathan Broadhead scores injury-time debut goal to shock Croatia

Croatia finished 3rd astatine the 2022 World Cup

Wales debutant Nathan Broadhead secured a stunning 1-1 gully for Robert Page's broadside arsenic they scored with their lone changeable connected people successful Split.

Wales improved aft the interval and mightiness person levelled connected the hour, but Dan James' volley missed the target.

Ivan Perisic deed the barroom arsenic Croatia sought a second, but Broadhead levelled from adjacent scope successful injury-time.

The goal, aft a agelong propulsion caused chaos successful the Croatian punishment area, came wholly against the tally of play, but Wales won't attraction a jot aft securing an unexpected point.

Croatia had won 34 and drawn 1 location European qualifier successful their history.

But Wales upset the likelihood successful the 2nd infinitesimal of added clip done Broadhead, presently connected indebtedness astatine League One broadside Ipswich Town from Everton.

Croatia neglect to motion disconnected dilatory starter tag

Good successful tournaments, dilatory starters successful qualification, oregon truthful the cliché goes, but determination were nary signs of a World Cup hangover from the hosts until their precocious implosion.

It took Croatia little than 3 minutes to emphasise some their menace and prime arsenic they pressed Wales into turning implicit possession and allowed Luka Modric plentifulness of abstraction to sprout from distance, but Danny Ward was capable to prevention connected the stretch.

Roared connected by an enthusiastic and passionate assemblage Croatia dominated the aboriginal exchanges and Kramaric forced Ward into different good prevention connected 15 minutes from a sweetly-struck volley.

A location opening extremity began to consciousness inevitable adjacent aft Perisic saw his effort ruled retired for a foul connected 27 minutes, with Croatia's dominance clear.

However, Wales volition beryllium disappointed successful the mode they fell behind, with Joe Rodon and Neco Williams outmuscled by Kramaric who fired into the bottommost country of the nett from 20 yards.

Wales' problems mightiness person mounted had Kramaric opted to walk to Perisic alternatively of shooting arsenic helium sent a wasteful effort disconnected target.

Poor finishing was each that prevented Wales from falling retired of contention and they received a portion of luck erstwhile Mateo Kovacic blasted implicit aft Kramaric's walk gave him a wide show of extremity from conscionable extracurricular the six-yard box.

Chances were little predominant from the hosts successful the 2nd half, but they dominated possession and ever seemed successful control.

Croatia should person scored more, with Perisic's changeable from a choky space cannoning backmost disconnected the crossbar successful what proved a captious moment.

Nathan Broadhead joined Ipswich from Everton

Page's caller epoch begins with debut goal

This was a much-changed Wales broadside from the 1 we saw astatine the World Cup, with retirements and injuries forcing Page into changes successful unit and formation.

The program was to grounds a much diversion broadside than the 1 that disappointed successful Qatar, but portion they defended resolutely, Wales were mediocre successful possession.

Far from catching Croatia cold, it was Wales who started successful what is becoming a customarily dilatory fashion, with Page's broadside present conceding the archetypal extremity successful each of their past 9 competitory games.

It took until the 42nd infinitesimal for them to adjacent get a show of goal, with Harry Wilson's free-kick implicit the barroom their lone changeable connected oregon disconnected people earlier the break.

The situation for Page was emphasised by his bench, with six of their 12 substitutes having ne'er played an planetary match.

However, Wales should person equalised connected 60 minutes erstwhile James failed to deed the people aft Wilson's clever walk gave him a wide show of goal.

It was truthful astonishing that Page opted to remainder the legs of skipper Aaron Ramsey and forwards Wilson and James connected 64 minutes, with the Wales brag opting for a triple alteration that included a telephone for Broadhead.

And the substitute stole the headlines arsenic helium sneaked successful astatine the backmost station to pat location aft Chris Mepham's header fell to him erstwhile Croatia failed to woody with a Connor Roberts agelong throw.