Nathan Broadhead scored a stoppage-time equalizer to help Wales produce one of the close football results of the weekend in Euro 2024 qualifying. Andrej Kramaric scored just before halftime, taking advantage of some sloppy Welsh defending in a one-sided game in Split. Croatia, on the other hand, couldn’t finish off Wales, with Mateo Kovacic missing a sitter and Ivan Perisic hitting the crossbar. It opened the way for a patched-up Wales to square matters with the final kick of the game, when Ipswich Town’s Broadhead, making his debut from the bench, pushed home at the back post following a Connor Roberts long throw.
Wales boss Rob Page faced headaches in their first international since Gareth Bale’s retirement, as Brennan Johnson (groin) and Ben Davies (hamstring) were both absent, while Dan James, Harry Wilson, and Kieffer Moore – Wales’ starting front three – had only played 610 minutes of Premier League football between them this season. Broadhead’s late smash-and-grab came after James, Wilson, Moore, and captain Aaron Ramsey had all been replaced.
Bale completed his trophy-laden career after 41 goals and 111 caps for Wales, both national-team records, while fellow Euro 2016 heroes Chris Gunter, Joe Allen, and Jonny Williams also called it quits. Croatia controlled from start to end as Wales lacked attacking cohesion, with Danny Ward stepping to the fore at critical points in the game with some fine goalkeeping. Ivan Perisic thought he had given Croatia the lead with a deflected strike, but Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro flagged a shove on a Welsh defender.
Croatia took the lead in the 28th minute, ending the reprieve. Poor defending from Joe Rodon and Neco Williams created room for Kramaric to score from 20 yards out. Wales’ situation could have deteriorated further, but Modric and Kramaric were ineffective, and Ward clung to Borna Sosa’s shot. Mateo Kovacic scored immediately after the restart following some excellent approach play, but Wales improved dramatically and had their first clear opening after an hour. Wilson found an unmarked James at the far post, but the winger clutched at his effort and missed the target.
Four minutes later, James, Ramsey, and Wilson were replaced in a triple substitution as Page appeared to be thinking about Tuesday’s must-win home game against Latvia. Wales appeared to lose whatever momentum they were gaining after the transfer, and Perisic hit the crossbar eight minutes from time. Wales were not finished, and Ipswich striker Broadhead was the hero, perfectly timing his run to the far post. A goal that merely drew the game, but will feel like a victory for Page’s team after being forced to absorb so much pressure.
Wales’ equalizer at 92:25 was their first shot on target against Croatia in the game. Wales’ past seven goals in all competitions have all come in the final 10 minutes of the game, with three of those (including tonight’s) coming in the 90th minute. Broadhead’s late equalizer made him the first Welsh player to score on his debut since Ben Woodburn against Austria in September 2017.
“I’m overjoyed for him. He’s not going to like it when I say this, but it’s an emotional game, and he was in tears with the fans at the conclusion. It means everything to him. Nathan and I played together at the Under-21s in Toulon six or seven years ago,” Wales manager Rob Page said. “I’ve been following his progress, and he’s earned the right to be a member of the squad. I knew everything about him before this camp, and we’ve been dying to get him engaged. We set a goal for how many points we wanted to get, and it’s all about the home game for us. That was the winnable game, and we always knew we’d make those adjustments on the hour. It’s better to keep them fresh for Tuesday, but when you get an equalizer late in the game, it feels like a win.”
“It’s a whole smash and grabs, an incredible result for Wales. It’s big for Wales because it demonstrates that they can compete with a team like Croatia, and it’s huge for the team as a whole. It demonstrates that you never give up,” Rob Earnshaw said. “It’s been a difficult night without Bale and Joe Allen, but it’s excellent for the new bunch, with six uncapped players on the bench and three coming in. Croatia should have won easily, but it’s something for Wales to build on, and I believe we’ll see how significant this is for them in the future.”
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