Croatia contained the attacking duo of Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in a 2-0 victory over France in the first leg of the Nations League quarterfinals Thursday. Ante Budimir headed Croatia ahead in the 26th minute off a cross from Ivan Perišić with France goalkeeper Mike Maignan partially blocking the ball before it crossed the line.

Mikel Merino's 93rd-minute equaliser earned Spain a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in Nations League quarterfinal first leg action on Thursday, while Croatia have one foot in the semifinals after beating France 2-0.

France will have Kylian Mbappe back from his mini hiatus as Les Bleus face a familiar opponent in Croatia in a clash for a spot in the UEFA Nations League final.