Instead, it delivered their first defeat in 15 matches.
Oleksandr Pyshchur’s ninth-minute goal proved enough for Ukraine to secure a 1–0 victory at the DVTK Stadium in Miskolc, ending Croatia’s long unbeaten sequence. Yet unlike many qualifying defeats, this one came without serious consequences: Croatia had already secured first place in Group H and qualification for the European Championship before kick-off.
The result therefore mattered less for the table than for what it revealed about a young Croatian side already beginning to look beyond qualification and towards the much greater challenge awaiting them at the final tournament.
A Slow Start Proves Costly
Croatia showed some attacking intent early on, with Luka Jagušić involved in a promising move after only five minutes, but Ukraine struck four minutes later.
After establishing possession, the Ukrainians worked the ball in from the right and found Pyshchur inside the area. The striker controlled before finishing past Toni Silić for what ultimately proved to be the only goal of the evening.
Croatia never fully found their rhythm in the opening 45 minutes.
Olić later admitted that his team had started the match too casually despite repeated warnings that Ukraine would provide a difficult test. The Croatian coach was particularly dissatisfied with the first-half performance and credited goalkeeper Silić with keeping his team within touching distance.
That assessment was justified again shortly after half-time.
Ukraine came close to doubling their lead when Denys Hryshkevych attacked from the right and aimed for the far top corner, only for Silić to produce an excellent fingertip save that diverted the ball onto the crossbar.
It proved to be a turning point in Croatia’s performance, if not in the scoreline.
Croatia Respond After the Break
The second half produced a much more recognisable version of Olić’s team.
Marin Šotiček created an opportunity for Michele Šego’s attacking partner Marin Segečić early in the half, while Jagušić and Segečić later saw attempts blocked as Croatia increased the pressure.
Olić also turned to his bench. Lovro Zvonarek made way for Ivan Canjuga at half-time, with Domagoj Bukvić, Branko Pavić and Luka Hodak among those introduced later.
The substitutions brought greater energy and urgency.
Jagušić fired over from the edge of the box before Dominik Prpić came closest to an equaliser. His header following a corner forced Ukrainian goalkeeper Vladyslav Krapyvtsov into an excellent reflex save as the hosts protected their narrow advantage.
Olić was far more satisfied with what he saw after the interval, praising the impact of the substitutes and the greater intensity of his team.
The contrast between the two halves ultimately became the central lesson of the evening: Croatia showed that they could put Ukraine under sustained pressure, but only after spending the opening period playing below the standards they had established throughout qualification.
The End of an Impressive Run
The defeat carried additional significance because of the sequence it ended.
Before arriving in Miskolc, Croatia had gone 14 consecutive matches without defeat. Defender Dominik Prpić had spoken openly before the game about the squad’s determination to protect that record, even though qualification had already been secured.
“We are 14 games unbeaten and we want to keep that run going,” Prpić said before the match, while also stressing the importance of every remaining result for Croatia’s coefficient and future tournament position.
That ambition disappeared with Pyshchur’s early goal, but one defeat hardly changed the broader assessment of the campaign.
Croatia had already booked their Euro 2027 place with two matches remaining — a significant achievement in a group containing Ukraine, Türkiye, Hungary and Lithuania. UEFA’s qualification system sent the nine group winners directly to the finals, alongside the best runner-up and four play-off winners, with Albania and Serbia qualifying automatically as hosts.
For Ukraine, meanwhile, victory provided a positive ending to a campaign that did not meet their ambitions.
The Ukrainian Football Association itself described the overall qualifying tournament as unsuccessful despite the win over Croatia. Ukraine eventually finished third in Group H, behind Croatia and Türkiye.
There was also a degree of symmetry to the result.
When the teams met earlier in the qualifying campaign, Croatia had defeated Ukraine 1–0, with Leon Grgić scoring the decisive goal. In Miskolc, Ukraine returned the favour by exactly the same scoreline.
One Defeat Does Not Change the Bigger Picture
Croatia responded quickly.
Four days after the loss in Miskolc, Olić’s side defeated Lithuania 1–0 in Druskininkai, with Ivan Canjuga converting a first-half penalty.
That victory meant Croatia finished Group H in first place with 19 points from eight games: six wins, one draw and one defeat. Türkiye followed with 13 points, Ukraine finished with 12, Hungary collected seven and Lithuania two.
Those numbers provide important context for the Ukraine defeat.
Miskolc was a setback, but not evidence of a failed campaign.
If anything, it provided Olić with something useful before the European Championship: an example of how quickly a strong team can be punished when its intensity drops.
The coach’s assessment after qualification was therefore overwhelmingly positive. He highlighted not only the results but also the number of players who had emerged during the campaign and established themselves as genuine options for the future.
Croatia, he said, had shown quality throughout the cycle and created a group with both ability and a strong atmosphere.
The next step is considerably harder.
Euro 2027 will be played in Albania and Serbia from June 16 to July 3, with Croatia joining Europe’s strongest Under-21 national teams. The final-tournament draw is scheduled for November 26 in Belgrade.
By then, the defeat in Miskolc will be little more than a line in Croatia’s qualification record.
But its lesson may remain valuable.
Fourteen unbeaten matches demonstrated Croatia’s quality. Ninety difficult minutes against Ukraine showed how quickly that advantage can disappear when intensity and concentration drop. For a team preparing to face Europe’s best, that may prove to be a useful warning at exactly the right time.
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