Portugal booked their place within the World Cup final 16 with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia after a controversial VAR choice denied Zlatko Dalić’s facet a late equaliser, Softfootball experiences.
Croatia struck first early within the second half when Ivan Perišić completed on the again submit following Josip Stanišić’s cross. Portugal responded rapidly as Cristiano Ronaldo calmly transformed a penalty after Renato Veiga was fouled from a nook, scoring the primary World Cup knockout aim of his profession.
The match swung dramatically in stoppage time when substitute Gonçalo Ramos rose to move residence Rafael Leão’s cross and full Portugal’s comeback.
Croatia thought they’d compelled further time within the 113th minute when Joško Gvardiol bundled residence from shut vary. Nonetheless, after a prolonged VAR assessment and an on-field verify, the aim was dominated out for offside after officers decided Igor Matanović had made a slight contact earlier than Mario Pašalić turned concerned within the transfer.
Portugal had dominated a lot of the primary half, creating a number of possibilities by Bruno Fernandes, Ronaldo and Rafael Leão, whereas Croatia improved considerably after introducing Matanović at half-time. Regardless of a spirited end, Luka Modrić’s facet had been eradicated, with the veteran captain seemingly making his ultimate World Cup look.
Roberto Martínez’s males now advance to a blockbuster last-16 conflict towards Spain who booked their place within the World Cup spherical of 16 with a powerful 3-0 victory over Austria.
Participant Scores
| Portugal | Score |
|---|---|
| Diogo Costa | 7 |
| Nuno Mendes | 7 |
| Renato Veiga | 6 |
| Ruben Dias | 6 |
| João Cancelo | 6 |
| Vitinha | 6 |
| João Neves | 6 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 6 |
| Rafael Leão | 8 (Man of the Match) |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 7 |
| Pedro Neto | 6 |
| Francisco Conceição (Sub) | 6 |
| Bernardo Silva (Sub) | 6 |
| Nelson Semedo (Sub) | 6 |
| Gonçalo Ramos (Sub) | 7 |
| Rúben Neves (Sub) | 6 |
| Croatia | Score |
|---|---|
| Dominik Livakovic | 6 |
| Ivan Perisic | 8 |
| Marin Pongracic | 6 |
| Josip Sutalo | 6 |
| Josip Stanisic | 7 |
| Mateo Kovacic | 8 |
| Luka Modric | 6 |
| Petar Sucic | 7 |
| Martin Baturina | 6 |
| Ante Budimir | 5 |
| Nikola Vlasic | 6 |
| Igor Matanovic (Sub) | 5 |
| Mario Pasalic (Sub) | 5 |
| Josko Gvardiol (Sub) | 4 |
| Andrej Kramaric (Sub) | N/A |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Portugal | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
| Ball possession | 60% | 40% |
| Makes an attempt | 15 | 13 |
| On the right track | 3 | 6 |
| Corners | 9 | 5 |
| Offsides | 1 | 4 |
| Yellow playing cards | 1 | 2 |
| Passes | 532 | 310 |
| Targets | 2 | 1 |
