Josko Gvardiol continued his scoring streak to earn Croatia a 1-1 home draw with Portugal on Monday that allowed them to squeak into the Nations League quarter-finals.&nbsp;

Portugal had already sealed top spot in Group A1. The draw allowed Croatia to finish one point above Scotland who continued their late surge with a 2-1 win over Poland in Warsaw.&nbsp;

In Group A4, Spain, already assured of qualification, beat last-placed Switzerland 3-2 in a match of penalty kicks in Tenerife.&nbsp;

Denmark secured second place in the group with a 0-0 draw in Serbia.&nbsp;

In Split, Portugal took a 33rd-minute lead when Joao Felix neatly finished a sharp counterattack. Rafael Leao then missed the target when clean through.&nbsp;

With Scotland winning in Warsaw after a third-minute goal from John McGinn, set up by teenager Ben Doak, Croatia were heading out.&nbsp;

Gvardiol, ghosting at the far post, had a header on 62 minutes disallowed for offside. He repeated the move three minutes later, sneaking in unmarked and onside to squeeze a close-range shot through Jose Sa. Gvardiol, a defender, has three goals in his last six Premier League games for Manchester City.&nbsp;

"It felt like two different games for us," said Gvardiol. "In the first half, we seemed a bit tired and needed to make changes. The second half was much better -- we had more energy, better control of the ball, and created more chances and we managed to score a goal."

Almost simultaneously in Warsaw, Kamil Piatkowski rocketed a cross shot into the top far corner of the Scottish goal to level for Poland.&nbsp;

In the 73rd minute in Split, left-back Nuno Mendes nearly emulated Gvardiol for Portugal but goalie Dominik Livakovic blocked.

In Warsaw, Andy Robertson headed home in added time to give Scotland a second win in four days, but Croatia comfortably saw out the draw they needed.&nbsp;

"I told the boys they earned this result through their hard work, though it seems we always have to struggle for it," said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic.

"While there might have been a results crisis, there was never a crisis in our play."

Scotland go into a play-off to save their League A status. Poland are relegated.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Scotland coach Steve Clarke said he was happy with his country's improvement.

"We started with three defeats, three narrow defeats, with good performances. The players didn't lose belief, I didn't lose belief in the players and they end up taking seven points from the last three games which gets us into the play-off," he said.

<h2>I can't ask for more</h2>

In Tenerife, Alvaro Morata's clever turn won a penalty just after the half-hour. Yvon Mvogo saved Pedri's low, hard spot kick but, after some pinball, Yeremi Pino, from the neighbouring Canary island of Las Palmas, scored.&nbsp;

Joel Monteiro dribbled through the Spanish defence for a spectacular 63rd-minute equaliser.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bryan Gil stole the ball in the Swiss area to put Spain ahead again five minutes later.&nbsp;

Andi Zeqiri levelled again, with a penalty five minutes from time.

Deep into extra time, Bryan Zaragoza converted Spain's second spot kick.&nbsp;

For both the Bryans it was a first international goal.&nbsp;

"Here at home with a goal, the win," said Pino. "I can't ask for more."

In Leskovac in Serbia, the hosts needed to win to overtake visiting Denmark and reach the quarter-finals.&nbsp;

On a night when both goalkeepers, Dorde Petrovic and Kasper Schmeichel, were in eye-catching form, the hosts had to settle for a 0-0 draw. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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The goalkeeping was less spectacular in Luxembourg in League C, where Northern Ireland blew a two-goal lead in Luxembourg to draw 2-2 but topped Group 3 when Bulgaria threw away a lead and drew 1-1 in Sofia against Belarus.

In Group 2, Romania beat Cyprus 4-1 in Bucharest to stay top of the group, two points ahead of Kosovo, who beat Lithuania 1-0 in Pristina despite playing the second half with 10 men.

In League D, San Marino came from a goal down to beat Liechtenstein 3-1 in Vaduz and edge Gibraltar to first place in Group 1.&nbsp;

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Josko Gvardiol continued his scoring streak to earn Croatia a 1-1 home draw with Portugal on Monday that allowed them to squeak into the Nations League quarter-finals.

Josko Gvardiol continued his scoring streak to earn Croatia a 1-1 home draw with Portugal on Monday that allowed them to squeak into the Nations League quarter-finals. Portugal had already sealed top spot in Group A1. The draw allowed Croatia to finish one point above Scotland who continued their late surge with a 2-1 win over Poland in Warsaw. In Group A4, Spain, already assured of qualification, beat last-placed Switzerland 3-2 in a match of penalty kicks in Tenerife. Denmark secured second place in the group with a 0-0 draw in Serbia. In Split, Portugal took a 33rd-minute lead when Joao Felix neatly finished a sharp counterattack. Rafael Leao then missed the target when clean through. With Scotland winning in Warsaw after a third-minute goal from John McGinn, set up by teenager Ben Doak, Croatia were heading out. Gvardiol, ghosting at the far post, had a header on 62 minutes disallowed for offside. He repeated the move three minutes later, sneaking in unmarked and onside to squeeze a close-range shot through Jose Sa. Gvardiol, a defender, has three goals in his last six Premier League games for Manchester City. "It felt like two different games for us," said Gvardiol. "In the first half, we seemed a bit tired and needed to make changes. The second half was much better -- we had more energy, better control of the ball, and created more chances and we managed to score a goal." Almost simultaneously in Warsaw, Kamil Piatkowski rocketed a cross shot into the top far corner of the Scottish goal to level for Poland. In the 73rd minute in Split, left-back Nuno Mendes nearly emulated Gvardiol for Portugal but goalie Dominik Livakovic blocked. In Warsaw, Andy Robertson headed home in added time to give Scotland a second win in four days, but Croatia comfortably saw out the draw they needed. "I told the boys they earned this result through their hard work, though it seems we always have to struggle for it," said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic. "While there might have been a results crisis, there was never a crisis in our play." Scotland go into a play-off to save their League A status. Poland are relegated. Scotland coach Steve Clarke said he was happy with his country's improvement. "We started with three defeats, three narrow defeats, with good performances. The players didn't lose belief, I didn't lose belief in the players and they end up taking seven points from the last three games which gets us into the play-off," he said. I can't ask for more In Tenerife, Alvaro Morata's clever turn won a penalty just after the half-hour. Yvon Mvogo saved Pedri's low, hard spot kick but, after some pinball, Yeremi Pino, from the neighbouring Canary island of Las Palmas, scored. Joel Monteiro dribbled through the Spanish defence for a spectacular 63rd-minute equaliser. Bryan Gil stole the ball in the Swiss area to put Spain ahead again five minutes later. Andi Zeqiri levelled again, with a penalty five minutes from time. Deep into extra time, Bryan Zaragoza converted Spain's second spot kick. For both the Bryans it was a first international goal. "Here at home with a goal, the win," said Pino. "I can't ask for more." In Leskovac in Serbia, the hosts needed to win to overtake visiting Denmark and reach the quarter-finals. On a night when both goalkeepers, Dorde Petrovic and Kasper Schmeichel, were in eye-catching form, the hosts had to settle for a 0-0 draw. ALSO READ | BGT 2024-25: Ravi Shastri wants India batters to 'think about' last Australia tour's performance in Perth The goalkeeping was less spectacular in Luxembourg in League C, where Northern Ireland blew a two-goal lead in Luxembourg to draw 2-2 but topped Group 3 when Bulgaria threw away a lead and drew 1-1 in Sofia against Belarus. In Group 2, Romania beat Cyprus 4-1 in Bucharest to stay top of the group, two points ahead of Kosovo, who beat Lithuania 1-0 in Pristina despite playing the second half with 10 men. In League D, San Marino came from a goal down to beat Liechtenstein 3-1 in Vaduz and edge Gibraltar to first place in Group 1. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Nations League: Josko Gvardiol steals in to ensure Croatia reach quarter-finals; San Marino promoted

Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol struggled to find his feet at the Premier League club but is now growing in confidence after his goal-scoring exploits in the title run-in, manager Pep Guardiola said. The 22-year-old left back joined the treble winners from German club RB Leipzig in August, signing a five-year deal for a reported fee of 90 million euros ($97 million).

The Croatian international, who had not scored in his previous 32 appearances for City, has now netted five times in his last seven matches to help his side's push towards a record fourth successive title. "There is an aspect in football and in life and that is confidence, confidence when you do things and it's game time, a lot of games and talking about the not proper things that you do and the good things," Guardiola told reporters after Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Fulham.

"And you cannot forget it is his first Premier League season... so it is not easy to handle it and he struggled in the beginning a little bit, because he came into a team who had just won the treble and he was a little bit shy. "He signed for many, many years and he has proved to himself that he can do it and play with us."

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Guardiola gave his players three days off after their 5-1 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers this month. "On the first day, he (Gvardiol) went into the training centre to make a recovery, so his focus is football and he wants to be better and better and when this happens, you have something special on your hands," the Spaniard said.

City, second in the table with 85 points and one behind Arsenal who have played a game more, travel to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol struggled to find his feet at the Premier League club but is now growing in confidence after his goal-scoring exploits in the title run-in, manager Pep Guardiola said.

Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol struggled to find his feet at the Premier League club but is now growing in confidence after his goal-scoring exploits in the title run-in, manager Pep Guardiola said. The 22-year-old left back joined the treble winners from German club RB Leipzig in August, signing a five-year deal for a reported fee of 90 million euros ($97 million). The Croatian international, who had not scored in his previous 32 appearances for City, has now netted five times in his last seven matches to help his side's push towards a record fourth successive title. "There is an aspect in football and in life and that is confidence, confidence when you do things and it's game time, a lot of games and talking about the not proper things that you do and the good things," Guardiola told reporters after Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Fulham. "And you cannot forget it is his first Premier League season... so it is not easy to handle it and he struggled in the beginning a little bit, because he came into a team who had just won the treble and he was a little bit shy. "He signed for many, many years and he has proved to himself that he can do it and play with us." Also read: England manager Gareth Southgate provides update on replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United Guardiola gave his players three days off after their 5-1 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers this month. "On the first day, he (Gvardiol) went into the training centre to make a recovery, so his focus is football and he wants to be better and better and when this happens, you have something special on your hands," the Spaniard said. City, second in the table with 85 points and one behind Arsenal who have played a game more, travel to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

Josko Gvardiol proving his worth after early struggles, reckons Man City boss Pep Guardiola

European and Premier League champions Manchester City have finally completed the signing of Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig on Saturday, August 5. In the second most expensive transfer for a center-back, City paid a reported fee of mouth-watering $100 million to get their man. The center-back put pen to paper on Saturday for a five-year deal to become the club’s second signing in the close season.

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Josko Gvardiol signs for City! 🩵 <a href="https://t.co/MN6euvK0y0">pic.twitter.com/MN6euvK0y0</a>
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<h2>Gvardiol puts pen to paper</h2>

“I have always dreamed of one day playing in England and to be doing so now with Manchester City – after the season they have just had – is a real honour for me.

“Anyone who saw Manchester City play last season knows they are the best team in the world. To win the Treble says everything you need to know about the quality this team has.

“To be joining City is something very special for me and my family,” Gvardiol said during his unveiling.

Gvardiol made 87 appearances for RB Leipzig across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns, scoring five goals and winning two DFB-Pokal trophies. He has won 21 caps for Croatia, excelling in their third-place finish in the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.

The 21-year-old has become the second City signing this summer as he joins international teammate Mateo Kovacic. The former Champions League winner was signed from Chelsea in a deal close to $40 million as a direct replacement for departing İlkay Gündoğan.

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<h2>City’s outgoing</h2>

The deal could now see the departure of Aymeric Laporte from the Etihad Stadium with him being surplus to requirements at the club. Laporte was behind the pecking order of Jones Stones, Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji. The club will also look to find suitors for Joao Cancelo having been asked to leave the club in January. The Portugal full-back spent the second part of last season on loan at Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga.

Barcelona remain coy on the signature of Cancelo and could raise a bid in the coming days along with Bernardo Silva.

City will start their season on Sunday, August 6 against Arsenal in the Community Shield before they face Championship winners Burnley in their first Premier League match of the season.

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European and Premier League champions Manchester City have finally completed the signing of Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig on Saturday, August 5.

European and Premier League champions Manchester City have finally completed the signing of Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig on Saturday, August 5. In the second most expensive transfer for a center-back, City paid a reported fee of mouth-watering $100 million to get their man. The center-back put pen to paper on Saturday for a five-year deal to become the club’s second signing in the close season. Josko Gvardiol signs for City! 🩵 pic.twitter.com/MN6euvK0y0 — Manchester City (@ManCity) August 5, 2023 × Gvardiol puts pen to paper “I have always dreamed of one day playing in England and to be doing so now with Manchester City – after the season they have just had – is a real honour for me. “Anyone who saw Manchester City play last season knows they are the best team in the world. To win the Treble says everything you need to know about the quality this team has. “To be joining City is something very special for me and my family,” Gvardiol said during his unveiling. Gvardiol made 87 appearances for RB Leipzig across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns, scoring five goals and winning two DFB-Pokal trophies. He has won 21 caps for Croatia, excelling in their third-place finish in the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar. The 21-year-old has become the second City signing this summer as he joins international teammate Mateo Kovacic. The former Champions League winner was signed from Chelsea in a deal close to $40 million as a direct replacement for departing İlkay Gündoğan. ALSO READ | Retired Stuart Broad admits being Shaheen Afridi's 'fan', says his bowling is pleasure to watch City’s outgoing The deal could now see the departure of Aymeric Laporte from the Etihad Stadium with him being surplus to requirements at the club. Laporte was behind the pecking order of Jones Stones, Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji. The club will also look to find suitors for Joao Cancelo having been asked to leave the club in January. The Portugal full-back spent the second part of last season on loan at Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga. Barcelona remain coy on the signature of Cancelo and could raise a bid in the coming days along with Bernardo Silva. City will start their season on Sunday, August 6 against Arsenal in the Community Shield before they face Championship winners Burnley in their first Premier League match of the season. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Football Transfers: Treble winners Manchester City sign Croatian Joško Gvardiol from RB Leipzig

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Nations League: Josko Gvardiol steals in to ensure Croatia reach quarter-finals; San Marino promoted

Josko Gvardiol proving his worth after early struggles, reckons Man City boss Pep Guardiola

Football Transfers: Treble winners Manchester City sign Croatian Joško Gvardiol from RB Leipzig