Two curling free-kicks from Sinisa Mihajlovic enabled 10-man Yugoslavia to snatch a 2-2 draw and eliminate injury-plagued Croatia in a politically charged European Championship qualifier in Zagreb on Saturday.

The draw meant Yugoslavia automatically qualified for the Euro 2000 finals from Group Eight while Croatia, semi-finalists in the World Cup last year, were eliminated in third place.

"We still had quite a few chances but it wasn't our day," said Croatia coach Miroslav Blazevic. Croatia opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Davor Suker found Alen Boksic with a perfect defence-splitting pass and the latter tipped the ball over the leg of falling Yugoslavia goalkeeper Ivica Kralj.

Minutes earlier, Croatia had an apparently good goal disallowed. Suker headed from close range and Kralj pulled the ball after it had crossed the line but the referee waved play on.

Holes in Croatia's patched-up defence started to show in the 26th minute when Mihajlovic sent a brilliant curling free-kick from the right with Predrag Mijatovic flicking the ball past goalkeeper Drazen Ladic to make it 1-1.

Five minutes later Mihajlovic set up Yugoslavia's second when his Lazio team-mate Dejan Stankovic headed in another of his free-kicks.

Croatia's chances appeared to be boosted eight minutes from the end of the first half, when Yugoslav right back Zoran Mirkovic was shown the red card for grabbing Robert Jarni by the crotch, after they had tussled for a loose ball.

Croatia equalised just after the restart when Mario Stanic headed home from close range after a perfect cross from Boksic, Croatia's player of the night.