Already assured of a place at the 2026 World Cup, Zlatko Dalić rang the changes for Croatia’s final Group L outing, making seven alterations to his starting XI. Montenegro, meanwhile, had only pride to play for, but started as if far more was at stake.

One of Croatia’s fresh inclusions, Igor Matanović, should have given the visitors an early lead when he headed over from point-blank range inside the opening two minutes. The miss proved costly almost immediately. Just 40 seconds later, Duje Ćaleta-Car’s misplaced touch gifted Milutin Osmajić a clear run on goal, and the forward made no mistake, sliding his finish beneath Dominik Livaković.

Croatia, who had conceded only two goals in the entire qualification campaign, suddenly looked shell-shocked — and things worsened inside 14 minutes. Nikola Krstović, in lethal form with five goals in his previous five club and international appearances before half-time, struck again. The Montenegro striker spun sharply 20 yards out and drilled a low strike into the corner to put the hosts 2–0 up.

The Croatian response, however, arrived eight minutes before the interval. VAR ruled that Slobodan Rubežić’s sliding challenge on Kristijan Jakić was overly forceful, awarding a penalty. Captain Ivan Perišić, making his 150th appearance for his country, kept his composure and powered the spot-kick straight down the middle to halve the deficit.

Croatia dominated possession after the restart, but Montenegro remained dangerous on the counter and nearly restored their cushion when Krstović curled an effort onto the outside of the post. The visitors refused to be denied, though, and levelled with 17 minutes remaining. Substitute Petar Musa struck the post, and Jakić reacted first to steer the rebound into the net.

With momentum on their side, Dalić summoned Luka Modrić for his 194th international cap as Croatia pushed for a winner. The decisive moment arrived with just three minutes left on the clock. Vlašić collected the ball 20 yards from goal and unleashed a fierce drive into the corner for his second goal in as many matches, completing a sensational comeback.

Croatia now turn their attention to next summer’s finals, confident and unbeaten, while Montenegro boss Mirko Vučinić will rue a missed chance to close their campaign with a landmark victory.