Portugal vs Croatia: Preview, Prediction & Betting Tips

Portugal host Croatia in the final international friendly before the Euros begin, as both look to enter the tournament with plenty of momentum.

Date: 08/06/24

Kick-off time: 17:45

Venue: Centro Desportivo Nacional do Jamor

Roberto Martinez’ Portugal side will look to improve on the Round of 16 exit in Euro 2020. Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing in his sixth and potentially final Euros tournament, so he will be desperate to go deep into the competition and win it for a second time. They have plenty of talent across the squad, and have one of the most balanced teams. They qualified for this summer’s Euros by finishing top of their group with 10 wins from 10.

The Croatians were also eliminated in the Round of 16 in Euro 2020, so they will hope to go a lot deeper into the tournament this time around. Manager Zlatko Dalic has named an initial 35-man provisional squad which will be reduced to 26 in a couple of weeks. These friendlies allow him to get a good look at his players before finalising the team. Man City pair Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol are involved, whilst Luka Modric will be a key factor once more.

Goals could be expected in this one. Croatia have been inconsistent in front of goal, but could lean on the services of Osasuna striker Ante Budimir, who has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season. He played just twice in the qualifiers, but netted once. However, he will have to get past a solid defence which has kept four clean sheets in their last six. Andrej Kramaric could also enjoy some success off the back of a 15-goal season for Hoffenheim. Portugal will of course rely on the likes of Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, with Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao providing a dangerous threat.

These two teams have met on just seven occasions but it is a matchup dominated by Portugal who have won six and drawn one. The last meeting came in the UEFA Nations League in November 2020, in which Portugal won 3-2. Man City defender Ruben Dias scored a brace, whilst Joao Felix also netted. Mateo Kovacic bagged twice for Croatia.

Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo headlines a very strong squad. There is plenty of Premier League representation with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Bruno Fernandes all involved.

Croatia

Luka Modric may miss this game as he was involved in the Champions League final the week prior. Premier League stars Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol have been named in the squad.

Portugal

In their last four games, Portugal have won three and lost one. It has been a largely dominant stretch for Portugal as they look ahead to the upcoming European Championships. The run started with the penultimate matchday of the qualifying group phase, in which they took on Liechtenstein and won 2-0 away from home. They fielded a strong team, but were unable to take the lead until a minute into the second half. The scorer was Cristiano Ronaldo. Joao Cancelo scored a second 11 minutes later to effectively put the game to bed.

They made it two wins in a row with a victory over Iceland by the same scoreline in the final group game. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes scored the first goal before Ricardo Horta added a second. Portugal dominated the game in both possession and shot attempts, and the game was a lot more comfortable than the final scoreline suggests.

Another win followed as they beat Sweden 5-2 in a friendly. AC Milan’s Rafael Leao broke the deadlock 25 minutes in, before Matheus Nunes and Fernandes tacked on two more before the break. Bruma made it four, though Viktor Gyokeres pulled one back almost immediately. Goncalo Ramos answered almost as quickly, before Gustaf Nilsson scored another consolation at the death. Their last game ended in their only defeat, as they lost 2-0 to Slovenia. Both goals came in the final 20 minutes of the game, as the Portuguese managed to muster just two shots on target. Before they host Croatia, they will take on Finland in another friendly on Tuesday night.

Croatia

In their last five games, Croatia have won three, drawn one and lost one. It has been a solid stretch for Croatia as they prepare for the upcoming European Championships. This run started in defeat, however, as they lost 2-1 at Wales in matchday eight of the European Qualifiers. The hosts scored twice early in the second half through a Harry Wilson brace, before Mario Pasalic halved the deficit.

They got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win at Latvia in matchday nine. Both goals came early in the game, with Lovro Majer and Andrej Kramaric netting in the seventh and 16th minute. They restricted Latvia to just one attempt and zero on target in the entire game. They ended their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win over Armenia. Osasuna striker Ante Budimir scored on the stroke of half-time, and this was the only goal of the game as they dominated in both shot attempts and possession. These results helped them to a second place finish.

During the last international break, they faced Tunisia and Egypt in friendlies. The first against Tunisia ended in a 0-0 draw, but went to penalties. Croatia prevailed 5-4 in the shootout. Their most recent game was a 4-2 win at Egypt. Ramy Rabia put the Egyptians ahead early, but four unanswered from Nikola Vlasic, Bruno Petkovic, Kramaric and Majer gave Croatia a convincing lead. Mohamed Abdelmonem pulled one back in stoppage time. Before they travel to Portugal, Croatia will host North Macedonia in a friendly on Monday night.

This will be a good test for both sides heading into the tournament. Both are in similar form, so expect a competitive game. However, Portugal should prevail with both teams on the scoresheet – Portugal 3-1 Croatia

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Portugal vs Croatia will be available to watch on Premier Sports 2.

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