Croatia and Portugalfinished level in a tightly contested Matchday 6 showdown in Group A1 of the UEFA Nations League. The draw secured second place and advancement for Croatia, while Portugal had already sealed their spot in the next round prior to kickoff.
Portugal entered the match without their star captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, as head coach Roberto Martínez opted to rest the forward along with other key players, given the team’s early qualification for the next stage.
João Félix opened the scoring for Portugal in the first half, capitalizing on a brilliant assist from Vitinha. Croatia, undeterred, pushed for an equalizer and found it through Manchester City defender Joško Gvardiol, whose decisive finish ensured the home side advanced alongside Portugal.
FULL TIME IN SPLIT! (1-1)
Croatia and Portugal drew with goals from Joao Felix and Josko Gvardiol. With this result, both teams advance to the next round.
90' +2 - Budimir misses an incredible chance! (1-1)
Ante Budimir had the winning goal late on but his shot hit the post.
89' - Yellow card for Portugal (1-1)
Renato Veiga from Portugal got a yellow card after a foul against Budimir.
80' - Another subtitution in Portugal (1-1)
Nuno Mendes leaves the field for Diogo Dalot in Portugal.
78' - Last substitution in Croatia (1-1)
Luka Modric leaves the field for Nikola Moro.
78'- Jose Sa with an incredible save for Portugal! (1-1)
Jose Sa saves Portugal from Budmir's goal.
73' - Nuno Mendes misses a clear chance! (1-1)
Dominik Livaković saved a clear chance from Nuno Mendes to keep the match tied.
71' - More substitutions in Portugal (1-1)
Rafael Leao and Otavio leave the field for Portugal to be replaced by Fabio Silva and Francisco Conceicao.
65' - GVARDIOL SCORES THE EQUALIZER! (1-1)
Josko Gvardiol equalizes the match after a great cross from Jakic.
63' - Fourth substitution in Croatia (0-1)
Igor Matanovic leaves the field for Ante Budimir.
63' - First substitution for Portugal (0-1)
Tomas Araujo leaves the field for Tiago Djalo.
57' - Another substitution in Croatia (0-1)
Ivan Perisic leaves the field for Luka Sucic.
45' - First substitutions of the game (0-1)
In Croatia, Borna Sosa and Mateo Kovacic left the field for Kristijan Jakic and Mario Pasalic to take their places.
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY (0-1)
The game is on again in Split!
Halftime! (0-1)
The game goes to halftime with Portugal leading 1-0 thanks to Joao Felix's goal.
39 - Kramaric misses the equalizer! (0-1)
Kramaric had the equalizer with a great shot that hit the post!
32' - JOAO FELIX SCORES THE FIRST GOAL OF THE GAME! (0-1)
Joao Felix scores the first goal of the game after a great assist from Vitinha.
29' - Nelson Semedo misses another chance for Portugal! (0-0)
Defender Nelson Semedo's great shot went over Livaković's goal.
17'- Leao misses a great chance! (0-0)
Rafael Leao made a great shot that was saved by Dominik Livaković.
15' - A hard-fought start (0-0)
Although Portugal controll the ball, the game is very even.
3'- Sosa saved Croatia! (0-0)
Portugal had the first chance of the match but defender Borna Sosa saved Croatia after a clearance.
GAME ON!
Croatia and Portugal are playing at Stadion Poljud!
All ready for Croatia vs. Portugal!
The teams are warming up and the game will kick-off in a few minutes!
Group A1 standings
Portugal sit at the top of the Group 1A standings with 13 points after the first five matchdays. Close behind is Croatia with 7 points, while Poland and Scotland follow with 4 points.
How Croatia are preparing for the Portugal match
Croatia enter the game following a narrow 1-0 loss to Scotland in their most recent match. Despite the setback, the Croatian squad remains in second place with seven points and a draw against Portugal would be enough to secure their spot in the next round of the UEFA Nations League.
How Portugal are shaping up ahead of Croatia clash
Portugal are entering the match as one of the standout teams of the tournament. They have accumulated 13 points so far and remain unbeaten, demonstrating their dominance on the field.
Why is Cristiano Ronaldo not playing today for Portugal?
Cristiano Ronaldo will not feature in Portugal’s game against Croatia, as head coach Roberto Martínez has opted to rest several key players. With Portugal already securing the top spot in Group A1 of the UEFA Nations League, Martínez has prioritized team rotation.
Today’s stage: Stadion Poljud
Croatia will host Portugal at the iconic Poljud Stadium, home of HNK Hajduk Split. This historic venue boasts a seating capacity of 35,000 and the last time the Croatian national team played here was in 2023 during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers. Luka Modric and his teammates battled to a 1-1 draw against Wales.
A general view inside the stadium as fans arrive prior to the UEFA Nations League League A Group 1 match between Croatia and France at Stadion Poljud
Today's referee
Italian Davide Massa will officiate today's clash between Croatia and Portugal.
Referee: Davide Massa (ITA)
Assistant 1: Filippo Meli (ITA)
Assistant 2: Stefano Alassio (ITA)
Fourth official: Daniele Doveri (ITA)
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo (ITA)
AVAR: Michael Fabbri (ITA)
Kick-off time and how to watch
The clash between Croatia and Portugal for the Matchday 6 of 2024-25 UEFA Nations League will kick off at 2:45 PM (ET).
