Croatia opened their UEFA Nations League Group A challenge with a commanding 2-1 triumph over the Czech Republic, a result that served as a triumphant debut for newly appointed manager Slaven Bilic. The victory proved particularly significant as it halted the Czech Republic's impressive 19-match unbeaten run at home, signaling strong intent from the Croatian side as they look to advance through the group stage once again. Both managers—Bilic and Czech counterpart Santi Denia—were making their competitive bows on the touchline, and each appeared determined to make a positive first impression, resulting in a cautious opening period devoid of clear-cut opportunities.
The first half saw Croatia gradually assert themselves despite the goalless scoreline. Luka Sucic came closest to breaking the deadlock when his volley sailed just wide in the 23rd minute, while deeper into the half, Mateo Kovacic's incisive play set up Petar Sucic, whose effort forced Czech goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek into a low save to his right. The breakthrough finally arrived moments after the interval when Igor Matanovic intercepted a loose Czech pass and fed Luka Modric, who—demonstrating remarkable vigor—burst into the box and fired a thunderbolt strike into the far corner to give Croatia the lead.
The Czech Republic responded swiftly to level the match, with Adam Karabec capitalizing on Adam Hlozek's pass to wrong-foot Dominik Livakovic and restore parity. However, Croatia regained control and nearly made their pressure count when Matej Radosta squandered a golden opportunity on the break, a costly miss that preceded Marco Pasalic's crucial goal. Ivan Perisic's cross found Pasalic arriving at the back post, and after heading down, his effort caused Hornicek to fumble the ball over the line. The home side thought they had equalized again moments later when Radosta appeared to finish on his debut, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside in the build-up.
The defeat left Denia disappointed in his first assignment, particularly as the Czech Republic may have viewed this fixture as their most winnable encounter in the group stage. Bilic's Croatia, conversely, departs with genuine confidence ahead of upcoming fixtures against England and Spain, positioning themselves well in their pursuit of advancing from the Nations League group for the third successive cycle. Modric's decisive performance earned him Man of the Match honors, underscoring his continued importance to the Croatian project.