Portugal will travel to Stadion Poljud on Monday to play Croatia in this UEFA Nations League fixture. Portugal hopes to continue its recent streak of back-to-back wins. They have not lost a game since July 26. Croatia has also been decent with its form as well but currently sits in the second spot of the group standings with their spot in the playoffs already clinched.
Match Details
Match: Croatia vs Portugal
Stadium: Stadion Poljud
Date & Time: Nov 18, 2024 at 7.45 pm UK
Croatia vs Portugal: Preview
Despite being 39, Cristiano Ronaldo is proving to be of major worth to the Portuguese side. With his brace the other night against Poland which included a “Paneka Penalty” and an overhead bicycle kick, he yet again broke a record for the most wins in an international career of a player. He broke the 131-win record of his ex-teammate Sergio Ramos by going on to win the 132nd game of his career with Portugal.
Not only Ronaldo but stars like Rafael Leao, Bruno Fernandes, and also Pedro Neto impressed by finding the back of the net in the later stages of the second half. Portugal could have kept a clean sheet but Dominik Marczuk’s late goal denied them.
Portugal’s only blemish in this campaign came against bottom-placed Scotland. On the road, however, the Selecao have been nearly unstoppable, losing just once in their last 10 Nations League away games; a defeat to Switzerland in June 2022. Since then, Portugal has conceded more than one goal in a match only once, in a friendly loss to Croatia this summer. Notably, they avenged that setback with a 2-1 win in September, where Ronaldo celebrated his 900th career goal.
Croatia, on the other hand, has been inconsistent. After earning seven points in their first three games, they stumbled to a 1-0 loss against Scotland, with John McGinn’s late goal at Hampden Park leaving their qualification hopes in doubt. The 2018 World Cup runners-up hold a three-point lead over Scotland and Poland. A draw against Portugal on Monday will be enough to secure their progression. Alternatively, a stalemate in the Scotland-Poland match would also guarantee Croatia’s place in the next stage.
Croatia vs Portugal: Team News
With Portugal’s top spot already confirmed, Roberto Martinez has released key players such as Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes (suspended), and Pedro Neto back to their clubs. To fill the gaps, Martinez has called up Fabio Silva and Sporting Lisbon’s rising star Geovany Quenda from the Under-21s. Tiago Djalo, who missed the Poland game, is also set to feature.
Rotation options like João Félix, João Cancelo, and Vitinha are expected to start, while Rui Silva and José Sá will compete to replace Diogo Costa in goal.
For Croatia, injured defender Kristijan Jakic could make way for Marin Pongracic at right-back, while Andrej Kramaric is expected to lead the attack. Petar Sucic is suspended following his red card against Scotland, with Mario Pasalic or Nikola Vlasic likely to step in. Ante Budimir and first-choice goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic return from suspension, with Livakovic set to replace Dominik Kotarski.
Predicted Lineups
Croatia: Livakovic; Pongracic, Caleta-Car, Sutalo, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; L. Sucic, Pasalic, Perisic; Kramaric
Portugal: R. Silva; Cancelo, Djalo, Araujo, Tavares; Vitinha, Neves; Conceicao, Felix, Trincao; F. Silva
Conclusion
The match promises to be entertaining as both nations already have booked their spots in the playoffs of the UEFA Nations League 2024 campaign. Some players, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, and many more elites, can prove themselves as decisive athletes if they win the match and place their team in the further rounds comfortably. The only reason why the coaches are starting the youngsters is the fact that no matter the results, the group’s standings have now been decided and nothing could be changed with this fixture.
