HALF-TIME UPDATE: PORTUGAL 2-1 CROATIA
Cristiano Ronaldo.
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) September 5, 2024
900 career goals 🤯#NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/5WFKOfvXkC
After being eliminated in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, Portugal were determined to produce a positive response in their return to competitive action.
Full-back Diogo Dalot required just seven minutes to beat Dominik Livakovic after linking up with his Man United teammate Bruno Fernandes.
Portugal then doubled their advantage through Cristiano Ronaldo, who guided the ball home from Nuno Mendes' low cross to score his 900th goal in senior football.
The hosts looked set to take a comfortable lead into the break until Croatia established a foothold courtesy of a Dalot own goal.
Chelsea summer signing Pedro Neto threatened to restore the two-goal cushion, but he saw his powerful strike crash against the frame of the goal.
While Portugal may only have a slender lead at the break, they have been the superior team in the contest and they should claim a relatively comfortable victory if they can maintain a high level of performance.
HALF-TIME PREDICTION: PORTUGAL 3-1 CROATIA
Favourites to fill the top two spots in League A Group 1, Portugal and Croatia kick off their latest UEFA Nations League campaigns on Thursday.
The teams meet at Estadio da Luz, having shared 10 goals across two games when they last met in the competition four years ago.
Match preview
© Imago
After an eventful - but ultimately fruitless - appearance at Euro 2024, Portugal must pick up the pieces of another quarter-final disappointment, having also suffered a last-eight exit at Qatar 2022.
A penalty-shootout defeat to France sent the Selecao packing this summer, which will mostly be remembered for Pepe's last stand and the uncontrollable tears of Cristiano Ronaldo.
While the 41-year-old defender has decided to hang up his boots, Ronaldo is keen to continue representing his country, and head coach Roberto Martinez has again called up the Al-Nassr star for this month's Nations League contests.
Portugal will ultimately be aiming to go all the way in a tournament they won back in 2019, after missing out on the finals by finishing second to group rivals Spain last time around.
Their Iberian neighbours then claimed the trophy before going on to taste more success at the Euros, so Martinez will be under even more pressure to compete for prizes - particularly given the abundance of talent available to him.
Undoubtedly, the ex-Belgium boss must target maximum points from a home double-header - Scotland arrive in Lisbon on Sunday - though even finishing second in Group 1 would be enough to make the quarter-finals.
![Croatia's Luka Modric in action on June 24, 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/26/luka-modric_3.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Croatia's Luka Modric in action on June 24, 2024 [IMAGO]")
© Imago
Now that UEFA have seen fit to expand the Nations League to include another knockout round, a top-two place will be sufficient for Croatia to go through too: Poland and Scotland start as outsiders to progress.
However, following their Euros heartbreak during the summer, Thursday's visitors will be keen to avoid any complacency, as they begin their quest to go one step further than in 2023, when they were beaten by Spain in the final.
Amid a recent history of near-misses, the Croatians unexpectedly fell at the first hurdle in Germany: conceding a late goal to Italy in their third game left them without a win in the 'Group of Death' and confirmed their exit.
No panic ensued, though, and faith has been kept with long-serving head coach Zlatko Dalic; furthermore, Luka Modric is emulating former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo by extending his international career still further.
While reaching the 2026 World Cup will be Croatia's main mid-term target, the prospect of finally getting their hands on some silverware should offer enough motivation to go full throttle in this season's Nations League.
Team News
© Imago
Roberto Martinez has refreshed his Portugal squad, selecting youngsters Geovany Quenda, Renato Veiga and Tiago Santos for the first time and dropping Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira and Francisco Conceicao.
Seventeen-year-old Sporting winger Quenda has made just four senior appearances at club level, while Veiga recently joined Chelsea; Lille full-back Santos is also in with a chance of making his Selecao debut.
Elsewhere, Pedro Goncalves, Francisco Trincao and goalkeeper Rui Silva are all recalled to a squad captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is expected to start up front.
While the hosts have lost Pepe, Croatia will now be without stalwarts Domagoj Vida and Marcelo Brozovic, the latter of whom retired from international duty on 99 caps. Another veteran campaigner, Ivan Perisic, is still selected despite being clubless after leaving Hajduk Split.
Lovro Majer, Josip Stanisic and Martin Erlic are ruled out of both Thursday's game and Sunday's clash with Poland by injury, while Lyon defender Duje Caleta-Car is also a doubt after picking up a knock last weekend.
Short-handed in defence, head coach Zlatko Dalic has suggested that Marin Pongracic, Kristijan Jakic or even winger Marko Pjaca may have to fill in at right-back.
Portugal possible starting lineup:
Costa; Dalot, Dias, A. Silva, Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha; B. Silva, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo
Croatia possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Pongracic, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, L. Sucic, Kovacic; Pasalic, Kramaric, Ivanusec
We say: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Home advantage should help Portugal defeat their first visitors in the Nations League, as long as Roberto Martinez fully exploits the abundance of attacking talent available to him.
Croatia's resources are more stretched, as retirements and injuries have depleted an already shallow squad and could take their toll at Estadio da Luz.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
