Now that was a shock. Croatia grabbed the top spot in Group D with a dramatic 2-1 victory over powerhouse Spain on Tuesday. It was a fantastic performance by the Croatians who inflicted Spain their first defeat in 15 games at the European Championship. They will look to sustain the momentum from that dominant group campaign when they take on surprise strugglers Portugal in the round of 16 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis this coming Saturday.
Who will emerge victorious in this much-anticipated showdown? Read on below for a complete breakdown of this blockbuster matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our round of 16 previews of Switzerland vs. Poland and Wales vs. Northern Ireland.
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Croatia will head to the knockout stages with momentum on their side after stunning defending champions Spain, 2-1, in their final group match on Tuesday. Ivan Perisic scored a late winner for the Croatians who capped off their Group D campaign with seven points to their name.
Key to the Croatians’ unbeaten start in this tournament has been their stellar attack. They have scored a total of five goals in the group stages, the third-best mark in the entire competition. To no one’s surprise, it was Perisic who carried the scoring cudgels for Croatia. He scored twice for Croatia in their opening three group games. He has scored 15 goals in 50 international appearances for Croatia.
Next up for Croatia is a matchup with Portugal. For Croatia to grab the advantage in this match, they will need to take control of the midfield and dominate possession. The Croatians only had 32 percent of the possession in their last match against Spain. As a result, they were outshot by the Spaniards, 15-13. They can ill afford to surrender that same kind possession to a Portugal side that boasts the attacking talents of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese captain had 30 shots in Portugal’s three group games, the highest in the tournament thus far. That’s almost double second-placed Gareth Bale (17) and exactly three times as many as Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne (10).
The good news for Croatia is that they will have the returning Luka Modric back in their ranks. The Real Madrid star missed the Spain game because of a thigh injury. He scored a stunning goal against Turkey and was the undoubted Man of the Match against the Czech Republic. Croatia’s success this coming Saturday will hinge on Modric’s partnership with Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic. If they can control the middle of the park against Portugal, chances are they will advance to the last eight of the Euros for the first time since 2008.
Betting on Portugal
Portugal will live to fight another day in the 2016 European Championship after they booked a spot in the round of 16 on Wednesday. Even though they finished the group stages with just three ties, Portugal’s three-point tally was enough to send them through to the knockout phase.
They will have their work cut out for them, however, in the next round as lying in wait for them this coming Saturday in the round of 16 are Group D winners Croatia. The Portuguese won’t be fazed by that matchup one bit, though, as they have fared extremely well against the Croatians of late. They are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Croatia. The Portuguese outscored the Croatians, 6-0, during that span.
If they are to continue their dominance of Croatia in this competition, Portugal will need Cristiano Ronaldo to continue his excellent play. The Real Madrid superstar rediscovered his old form in their last match against Hungary, scoring a crucial second-half double to keep Portugal’s title dreams alive. He has now scored 60 goals in 129 appearances for the national team.
