Portugal and Colombia split points in scoreless encounter as La Tricolor top group

[p]Buoyed by winning their first two games, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colombia/G02s4PCS/"]Colombia[/a] started strongly, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cordoba-jhon/MNBr0eFU/"]Jhon Cordoba[/a] especially dangerous, as he headed just over before forcing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diogo-costa/hC31Ab0c/"]Diogo Costa[/a] into a superb save from an acute angle. Cordoba’s namesake, Jhon Arias, then saw his shot expertly cleared off the line by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neves-ruben/Ea90ReE4/"]Ruben Neves[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] eventually grew into the first half, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Cristiano Ronaldo[/a]’s first sight of goal saw him take on a free-kick from distance that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vargas-camilo/2e2T9i1r/"]Camilo Vargas[/a] got behind with relative ease.[/p][image alt="Match Stats" id="b7760e1a-e084-4082-8983-cad5ce07a5b9" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="2a1c0b3f-87ed-4115-a505-a1a1d2d8423b" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]However, the Colombian goalkeeper’s credentials were on full display when he showed cat-like reactions to stop [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandes-bruno/GYvAMDm2/"]Bruno Fernandes[/a] from close range, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-felix/KI3YXMhi/"]Joao Felix[/a]’s acrobatic effort looped just over. At the other end, Costa had to be alert to parry away [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-james/MPaioN57/"]James Rodriguez[/a]’s strike, rounding off an entertaining, yet goalless half.[/p][p]Plenty of chances were shared early in the second half too, as Felix headed over from a promising position and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lerma-jefferson/Es8aeBs4/"]Jefferson Lerma[/a] shot straight down Costa’s throat. Colombia started to grab a foothold, and substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/richard-rios/GY9OlUCK/"]Richard Rios[/a] would have been disappointed to find the wrong side of the post from Rodriguez’s cutback.[/p][p]Costa was then called into action again to palm away Arias’ deflected strike, as [i]Los Cafeteros[/i] continued to probe for a breakthrough.[/p][image alt="Momentum" id="1fa76569-4e88-4db4-9e62-ea852dff2c9d" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="01665ed3-366a-4ef4-b84b-4ef84a5be480" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Colombia had scored after the 75th minute in four of their previous five games, and they looked the most likely to find a late winner as they peppered the Portuguese goal, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanchez-davinson/dbPhv0VQ/"]Davinson Sanchez[/a] even having a goal disallowed for the most marginal of offsides in stoppage time.[/p][p]As a result, the South Americans hold onto top spot in the group, setting up a Round of 32 match with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ghana/nNBjHale/"]Ghana[/a]. Meanwhile, Portugal may have extended their unbeaten record against CONMEBOL opposition in WC group games to four (W2, D2), but it wasn’t enough to climb above Colombia, meaning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-roberto/zHf9Etgc/"]Roberto Martinez[/a]’s side will play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/K8aznggo/"]Croatia[/a] in the next round.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arias-santiago/82iJTw7N/"]Santiago Arias[/a] (Colombia)[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/colombia-G02s4PCS/portugal-WvJrjFVN/?mid=vL2qotaK"]View the match stats for the game on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]