Croatia and Portugal will play in Split on 18 November at the Poljud Stadium.
Croatia national team
The 2023 UEFA Nations League finalist Croatia still cannot be sure of reaching the quarter-finals of this year’s tournament. A surprising 0-1 defeat to Scotland not only denied them the chance to win Group A1, but also means they still risk dropping to third place in the table if they lose their next match – this time against Portugal, who are in great form.
The good news is that they only need a draw to secure a place in the last 16. Fans can also take comfort from the fact that Zlatko Dalic’s side have only lost two matches in a row once since June 2021. Their strength is also evidenced by their excellent home form – over the past four years, the Croats have suffered only two defeats in 16 home international matches.
Andrej Kramarić could be a key player for Croatia. The national team has lost only one of the 28 matches in which he has played.
Portugal national team
Cristiano Ronaldo and co. have reason to approach this match with great confidence. In their last nine meetings with Croatia, they have lost only once. This excellent record includes a 2-1 victory at the start of the current Nations League draw, which brought the Iberians – the 2018/19 season’s triumphant side – closer to winning the group.
The 5-1 victory over Poland confirmed Portugal’s excellent form, which has remained unbeaten since their elimination in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. In their last five matches, they have won four times, scoring a total of 12 goals. The Portuguese also boast an excellent away record in the tournament, having lost only once out of ten matches, including a 3-2 triumph in Croatia in 2020.
Rafael Leão is worth noting for the Portuguese – his last four goals were either the first or the last of the match, and they came in matches in which Portugal scored at least five goals.
An interesting fact is that in four of Portugal’s five matches in this draw, they scored at least three goals.
Croatia vs Portugal match prediction
The home team is capable of winning, as the guests have already solved the main task. Obviously, the Portuguese will also not come out for the game with the main line-up, as it makes no sense.
Total over 2.5
Earlier, Sport Bet published a weasel for the match between Poland and Scotland, which will take place today, 18 November.
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