VAR denies Czech Republic second equaliser against Croatia in Prague

VAR denied the Czech Republic a second equaliser after Matej Radosta put the ball in the net, with Adam Hlozek judged offside in the build-up shortly after Croatia had gone 1-2 up in Prague.

Croatia’s experienced pair shape the contest

Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic led the way for Croatia in the Nations League clash with the Czech Republic, according to Goal.com India.

The match had been goalless at half-time before Croatia struck almost straight after the restart.

Igor Matanovic laid the ball into Modric’s path, and the midfielder drove into the penalty area before beating his man with a body feint and finishing superbly.

The goal put Croatia ahead in Prague after the break and was Modric’s 30th goal for Croatia.

Goal.com India described Modric as the 41-year-old captain in its report on the match.

Croatia’s lead did not last long, as Adam Karabec made it 1-1 for the Czech Republic in the 53rd minute.

That equaliser came after the visitors gifted the Czech Republic an opening with defensive blundering.

Croatia then chased a new lead, with Perisic also leaving his mark on the match.

Perisic, who plays for PSV, supplied the decisive delivery in the 77th minute.

The veteran whipped in a cross from the left for Marco Pasalic, who got in front of his direct opponent and headed the ball through goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek’s legs for 1-2.

Two minutes later, the Czech Republic thought they had equalised again when Radosta turned the ball into the net.

VAR spotted Hlozek offside in the build-up, and the equaliser was ruled out.

Why the fixture carried early Nations League weight

OneFootball’s preview framed Czechia versus Croatia as the opening-round fixture in both teams’ UEFA Nations League 2026 campaigns.

The same preview said the game took place on 26 September at 18:45 UK time.

Croatia came into the encounter with strong recent form and the aim of gaining an early advantage in the group stage.

Czechia’s task, according to the preview, was to secure a positive result at home against a formidable opponent.

That context made the Czechia versus Croatia prediction highly anticipated in the preview’s assessment.

The match was presented as a fixture with competitive balance, because the recent history between the two nations had been tight even though Croatia held the edge.

In four previous meetings before this encounter, Croatia had secured one victory and the other three matches had ended in draws.

That left the Czechs still searching for their first win against Croatia in that sequence.

Croatia’s sole victory in those four meetings was a 5-1 win at home during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The remaining meetings were closer, including two draws in previous European Championships.

The most recent fixture in Prague before this Nations League meeting had ended goalless.

OneFootball’s preview said the pattern suggested Croatia had a historical advantage, while draws remained common in the fixture.

It also said the high frequency of shared points indicated the teams were often evenly matched.

That background gave the Nations League opener an element of unpredictability despite Croatia’s stronger recent results.

Czechia entered with form concerns

Czechia began the UEFA Nations League campaign after what OneFootball described as a disappointing World Cup 2026.

They failed to win a single group-stage match at that tournament.

Their World Cup group campaign included a draw with South Africa and defeats to South Korea and Mexico.

OneFootball said those results highlighted Czechia’s struggles in high-stakes competitive fixtures.

Their broader form also pointed to inconsistency before the Nations League opener.

The Czechs had won just three of their last 21 matches and had lost eleven in that span.

Before the World Cup, they had secured friendly victories over Guatemala and Kosovo.

Their qualification journey also included a big win against Gibraltar and a surprising defeat to the Faroe Islands.

The preview noted one positive for Czechia: there were no reported injuries for the encounter.

That meant a full squad was available, according to the preview.

Even with that availability, OneFootball said Czechia’s recent track record suggested a tough challenge on home soil.

The preview said they needed to improve their performance to start the campaign positively.

The probable Czechia line-up listed by OneFootball was Matěj Kovář; Martin Vitík; Robin Hranáč; Ladislav Krejčí; Vladimír Coufal; Michal Sadílek; Lukáš Červ; David Sláma; Adam Karabec; Pavel Šulc; Adam Hložek.

Karabec, who appeared in that probable line-up, later made it 1-1 for the Czech Republic in the 53rd minute, according to Goal.com India.

Hložek, also listed in the probable line-up, was later involved in the VAR incident when he was spotted offside in the build-up to Radosta’s disallowed goal.

Croatia arrived with stronger tournament momentum

Croatia entered the UEFA Nations League after what OneFootball called a respectable showing at the 2026 World Cup.

They successfully navigated the group stage with victories over Ghana and Panama.

They were then narrowly eliminated by Portugal in the round of 32.

Their only group-stage defeat came against a strong England side.

OneFootball said that tournament experience highlighted Croatia’s ability to compete at a high level.

Their overall form had also been positive.

Croatia had secured 12 wins in their last 21 matches across all competitions.

Before the World Cup, Croatia faced tough opposition in friendlies.

Those friendlies included defeats against Belgium and Brazil.

The visitors also had no reported injuries ahead of the opening fixture.

OneFootball said Croatia arrived with a fully fit squad.

Given their World Cup performance and overall consistency, the preview said Croatia would be confident of starting their campaign with a positive result away from home.

The probable Croatia line-up listed by OneFootball was Dominik Livaković; Josip Stanišić; Josip Šutalo; Joško Gvardiol; Ivan Perišić; Luka Modrić; Mateo Kovačić; Nikola Vlašić; Luka Sučić; Martin Baturina; Ante Budimir.

Modric and Perisic were both part of that probable line-up and later played central roles in the match report from Prague.

Modric scored the goal that put Croatia ahead after the break.

Perisic later assisted Pasalic’s headed goal for 1-2.

Preview predictions favoured the visitors

OneFootball’s pre-match betting analysis said Croatia arrived with superior form and confidence after a solid World Cup showing.

The same analysis contrasted that with what it called a struggling Czech side.

On that basis, it said backing Croatia on the “-0.25 Asian Handicap” market seemed a sensible approach.

The preview also argued that Croatia’s quality and experience should allow them to control the tempo from the beginning against a less consistent opponent.

It said that made the prospect of Croatia winning the first half an attractive possibility to consider.

OneFootball described Croatia as strong favourites because of their recent performances and unbeaten head-to-head record.

Its main betting tip was for a Croatia win at full-time.

The preview also cautioned that the odds mentioned had been collected at the time of writing and were subject to change.

It advised readers to check the bookmaker’s site for up-to-date information.

The article also pointed readers to broadcast information for where to watch Czechia versus Croatia.

Head-to-head record added context to the Prague drama

The Prague match unfolded against a backdrop in which Croatia had not lost in the four previous meetings cited by OneFootball.

That record consisted of one Croatia victory and three draws.

The dominant 5-1 win during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers gave Croatia the clearest result in the recent sequence.

The other meetings had been tighter and reinforced the preview’s point that shared points were common between the sides.

The previous goalless stalemate in Prague was part of that pattern.

This Nations League meeting again produced a contest in which the Czech Republic responded after falling behind.

Modric’s opener gave Croatia the lead soon after the interval.

Karabec’s 53rd-minute finish brought the Czech Republic level.

Perisic’s 77th-minute cross and Pasalic’s header restored Croatia’s advantage.

Radosta’s apparent equaliser then briefly seemed to continue the pattern of Czech resistance.

VAR changed that moment by identifying Hlozek offside in the build-up.

That decision left Croatia’s 1-2 lead intact at the point described in Goal.com India’s report.