TipResumen

INTRODUCTION

This is a friendly match between two strong international teams but Portugal did not shine at the World Cup recently in Russia. Croatia certainly did as they made it all the way to the final, which is also their best achievement in their history, while Portugal was eliminated in the last 16. Still it must not be forgotten that Portugal are still the current European Champion having won the Euro 2016 beating France in the final.



PORTUGAL

At the recent World Cup in Russia, Portugal were eliminated in the last 16. However they are still the European Champions and this match is in a way for them to show they will want to defend that title even though it is just a friendly match. This is also their first match since their defeat to Uruguay in the last 16 of the World Cup, where they were also not impressive in the group stage where they played draws with Spain and Iran and defeated Morocco by a slim margin. Those games showed that things were not right with the side, even though their best player Cristiano Ronaldo still managed to scored in the World Cup finals. Despite failing to bring them to the final or even semi finals, they kept Fernando Santos as their head coach but for this match he will not have his strongest side at his disposal now. As for the team news, Ronaldo is not in the starting eleven as he has been given a break, while the likes of Pereira, Fonte, Alves, Ad.Silva, Moutinho, Joao Maria and Quaresma will also not be in the team.



CROATIA

For Croatia, reaching the final against France is perhaps a fairy tale for them and it is also their biggest achievement they have ever achieved in the World Cup before. Despite Croatia having been known to have some big individuals, in the past they have never managed to go far, except for the World Cup in 1998 when they reached the semi finals. Then in 2018, at the World Cup in Russia they achieved the impossible to get to the finals, but then they were defeated by France in the final. Still they managed to beat some big teams enroute to the finals such as Argentina and England, which is a big achievement for them. They have kept coach Zlatko Dalic as their head coach. Also their best player at the World Cup and Europe Luka Modric is still in the team as well. However the likes of goalkeeper Subasic, centre-back Corluka, and great centre-forward Mandzukic have retired from the national team in the meantime. As for the team news, the likes of Strinic, Kramaric, Rakitic and Rebic are out of the side due to injuries.



PAST MEETINGS

They last met in the Euro 2016 in the last 16 which Portugal won by 1-0.