Portugal will look to keep their dream of winning a first FIFA World Cup alive when they face Croatia in a blockbuster Round of 32 clash at BMO Field in Toronto on Friday.
Roberto Martinez’s side progressed to the knockout stage as runners-up in Group K, while Croatia also finished second in Group L after recovering from an opening defeat to England.
Although Portugal remain one of the tournament favourites, their group-stage performances left plenty of room for improvement. The Selecao opened their campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo, struggling to create clear-cut opportunities in a below-par display.
They responded emphatically by thrashing Uzbekistan 5-0, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice to become the first player to find the net in six consecutive World Cup tournaments. However, Portugal failed to build on that momentum, settling for a goalless draw against Colombia despite coming under sustained pressure throughout the contest.
Finishing second in the group has handed Martinez’s men a far more difficult path to the final. Victory over Croatia could set up a meeting with European champions Spain, while potential clashes against Belgium, Senegal, the United States, France or Morocco could await later in the competition.
Despite the difficult route, Portugal enter the contest in confident mood. They are unbeaten in their last eight matches across all competitions, recording five wins and three draws while conceding only four goals and keeping four clean sheets.
History also favours the Portuguese. They defeated Croatia in the knockout stages of Euro 2016 before lifting the trophy, and they have enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings between the two nations, winning seven of their previous 10 encounters.
Croatia, however, have developed a reputation as one of international football’s toughest tournament teams. After reaching the 2018 World Cup final and finishing third in Qatar four years later, Zlatko Dalic’s men are aiming for another memorable run.
The Vatreni endured a difficult start in North America, suffering a 4-2 defeat against England in their opening Group L fixture. They responded impressively, beating Panama 1-0 before securing qualification with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ghana.
Veteran captain Luka Modric once again demonstrated his enduring quality in that final group match, becoming the oldest player to register a World Cup assist when he set up Nikola Vlasic’s late winning goal.
Croatia have won 11 of their last 16 matches in all competitions, but there is one statistic that may concern Dalic. All four defeats during that period have come against teams ranked above them in the FIFA World Rankings, with Portugal among those elite nations.
Martinez is expected to recall Joao Neves after rotating his squad during the group stage, while Ronaldo will once again lead the attack alongside Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto and Joao Felix.
At the back, Ruben Dias is set to marshal the defence with Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo and Renato Veiga protecting goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Croatia are also expected to make slight adjustments, with Josko Gvardiol likely to return at left-back after being rested against Ghana. Modric and Mateo Kovacic should continue in midfield, while Petar Sucic and Nikola Vlasic have strengthened their claims for starting places following their decisive contributions in the group stage.
With both teams packed with experience and quality, little is expected to separate them. Croatia have repeatedly shown they can rise to the occasion in knockout football, but Portugal’s stronger head-to-head record, greater attacking firepower and tournament experience give them a slight edge.
The winner will move one step closer to World Cup glory and could face an even sterner challenge in the last 16, making Friday’s showdown one of the standout fixtures of the knockout stage.
