How Portugal held off a stubborn Croatia in one of the games of this World Cup tournament

[p]The Vatreni had failed to beat the Selecao das Quinas in six previous competitive fixtures (L5, D1), and had only won one in the previous 10 games overall (L7, D2).[/p][h2]Would [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Ronaldo[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/modric-luka/bZWyoJnA/"]Modric[/a] influence their country's progression?[/h2][p]Former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric were in opposition, and one of them was likely to be playing their last-ever World Cup match, given their respective ages (41 and 40).[/p][p]Ronaldo's 26th WC finals appearance meant that only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a] (29) has more, with Modric just behind the Portuguese legend on 23.[/p][embed guid="0e6a52dd-12af-4d63-94ed-92ae20dcd89c" url="https://x.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/2072814801210749157" social-type="twitter" /][p]Would either still be able to influence proceedings and prove their worth in the heat of battle, or would their inclusions prove to be a decision that either coach regretted?[/p][p]Ronaldo had certainly played his part in getting the Portuguese to this point, having scored twice in the group stage to lead the rankings for his side.[/p][h2]Incessant early pressure from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a][/h2][p]Furthermore, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-roberto/zHf9Etgc/"]Roberto Martinez[/a] had guided his team to four wins and two draws in the previous six matches, conceding only three goals whilst scoring 12. By contrast, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/K8aznggo/"]Croatia[/a] had won three and lost three of their last six, scoring eight but conceding 11.[/p][p]The match began as you might expect with incessant pressure from Portugal, who had seen a collective 72% possession in the early stages of the game.[/p][image alt="Portugal v Croatia - Momentum shift" id="68f5888f-6781-4405-91a3-7f0325052eab" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="29bd34f5-1013-4051-8c36-ae837e27a90e" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Before 10 minutes had even been played, they'd had four efforts at the Croatian goal, with the likes of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pongracic-marin/OSXlKkv9/"]Marin Pongracic[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sutalo-josip/2aSozh6l/"]Josip Sutalo[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stanisic-josip/SfawK0Y3/"]Josip Stanisic[/a] all having to win 100% of their tackles just to keep their opponents at bay.[/p][p]When the Vatreni did get a chance to get forward, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/budimir-ante/IeVXGQOi/"]Ante Budimir[/a]'s skied effort on 10 minutes - their first foray upfield of any description - summed up their difficulties.[/p][h2]Goalless at half-time[/h2][p]With [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vitinha/Sz9SH7zj/"]Vitinha[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neves-joao/hCbYVsXQ/"]Joao Neves[/a] both posting pass completion totals of above 90%, the midfielders were providing a great platform for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leao-rafael/AqOPWN5s/"]Rafael Leao[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendes-nuno/ne2xCTJj/"]Nuno Mendes[/a] to raid down one side, and Joao Cancelo down the other.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandes-bruno/GYvAMDm2/"]Bruno Fernandes[/a] was also proving a handful centrally, and the only surprise was that the game remained goalless.[/p][image alt="Portugal v Croatia - Player ratings" id="483ece99-a12e-4c8e-8137-7bb88c8af818" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="c986b4c4-aead-4a5e-af58-01dbc27877d6" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]By half-time, Portugal had already had nine attempts at goal, with Croatia not having a single effort on target in response.[/p][p]That they were still in the game was due in no small part to the industry of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kovacic-mateo/4f084TL7/"]Mateo Kovacic[/a], who would go on to win three of the five one-on-one duels attempted, and Stanisic, who won four of his five, as well as winning back possession on five separate occasions.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perisic-ivan/4AbKyVr9/"]Perisic[/a] breaks the deadlock[/h2][p]Given that Budimir had managed only seven total touches in the entire first half, Zlatko Dalic needed to reverse the slide, and a distinct 4-2-4 formation when attacking soon paid dividends.[/p][p]Just three minutes into the second half, Kovacic finally had Croatia's first effort on target, and six minutes later, Ivan Perisic fired them into the lead with his only shot of the game. That goal took him clear of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suker-davor/xjkC4pTp/"]Davor Suker[/a] as the player with the most goals for his country (seven) in World Cup history.[/p][embed guid="cd226bfe-2461-459c-b7d9-36667c578605" url="https://x.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/2072837637530939773" social-type="twitter" /][p]Portugal had failed to win any of their last 11 matches when conceding first in the tournament (since a victory over Korea DPR on 23rd July 1966), so when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sucic-petar/dMS6iFY2/"]Petar Sucic[/a] almost doubled the lead, Martinez made his move and ordered a quadruple substitution on the hour.[/p][p]Within a minute, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vlasic-nikola/4ryWOtME/"]Nikola Vlasic[/a] conceded one of two fouls he'd make in the game, and after a VAR review, he'd been adjudged to have hauled down [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/veiga-renato/r1cX4e0d/"]Renato Veiga[/a] in the area, handing Ronaldo the chance to equalise from the spot.[/p][h2]Ronaldo scores his first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal[/h2][p]This he did with his only shot on target in the match, ensuring his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stages, which sparked the now infamous siiiiiuuuu celebration. [/p][p]Far from unnerving Croatia, they continued to play on the front foot, with Kovacic, Modric and Sucic playing 37 balls into the final third alone.[/p][embed guid="6e765773-892a-4e83-bdc5-f185aa2ed5d6" url="https://x.com/selecaoportugal/status/2072841036510966045" social-type="twitter" /][p]Unfortunately, their accuracy was often misaligned, and in Sucic's case, only 58.3% of those balls found their intended target.[/p][p]With Vlasic attempting seven tackles - more than anyone else on the pitch - and 13 ground duels, as well as Modric winning possession back eight times (also the best return of any player), Croatia were still in the ascendancy as the latter stages approached.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ramos-goncalo/xfW2M1Tt/"]Ramos[/a] wins it but controversy reigns[/h2][p]Kovacic's on-target effort with 15' to play brought a fifth save from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diogo-costa/hC31Ab0c/"]Diogo Costa[/a], and with substitute Igor Mantanovic causing havoc in the second half thanks to his three shots at goal (no Croat had more) and seven touches in the box, the conclusion of the game looked like it was only going to see one winner.[/p][p]And yet, the Croatian defence switched off for just a moment during the 10 minutes of stoppage time, and in so doing, Goncalo Ramos was able to glance a header home from Rafa Leao's delicious cross.[/p][image alt="Goncalo Ramos goal sequence v Croatia" id="b3797eb6-5106-44e9-af4d-7b2775fd4857" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="7430eded-8ee0-4651-8cd1-835ef22ce7d0" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The only player in the Portuguese side to win 100% of his headed duels, there can hardly have been a better time for him to nod his team in front.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gvardiol-josko/86K1f1fd/"]Josko Gvardiol[/a], who had only come on for Croatia in the 92nd minute and whose contribution was just seven touches of the ball, bundled home in the 114th minute of the game, but as fans were preparing for extra time, a hugely contentious VAR review saw the goal ruled out.[/p][image alt="Portugal v Croatia - Match stats" id="dc14fede-7fe8-44b1-8136-e727b8530875" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="4a4c0a81-379f-42f0-8931-fe13f0acbb02" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]It was rough on Croatia, who lost after scoring the opening goal in a World Cup match for the first time since 12th June 2014 against Brazil.[/p][p]Portugal must now regroup and use the intensity they showed in the first half of this game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a] in what will surely be an epic round of 16 clash.[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]