Welcome to our live coverage of the UEFA Nations League clash between Portugal and Croatia, with Cristiano Ronaldo aiming to score his 900th career goal. It’s been a short time since Euro 2024, but the international action resumes as Portugal hosts Croatia in Lisbon for a Group A encounter. Portugal also features Manchester City stars Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva.
UEFA Nations League: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Cristiano Ronaldo made history by becoming the first footballer to reach 900 career goals, leading Portugal to a 2-1 victory over Croatia in their UEFA Nations League opener.
Portugal dominated the match but only held a two-goal lead for a brief period. Diogo Dalot, who scored the opener, inadvertently turned the ball into his own net later in the game. Despite this, Ronaldo’s goal was a highlight, as he skillfully volleyed a Nuno Mendes cross past Dominik Livakovic, sparking celebrations in Lisbon.
Dalot’s first goal seemed to set the stage for a comfortable win, thanks to a precise setup from Bruno Fernandes. Although Croatia managed to reduce the deficit, they struggled to mount a serious challenge as Luka Modric’s influence waned.
Match Summary:
Full Time: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Goals:
- 7′ – Diogo Dalot (Portugal)
- 34′ – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- 41′ – Diogo Dalot (Own Goal – Croatia)
90+4′ – LAST CHANCE Matanovic has a final opportunity but heads over the bar as the match nears its end.
90′ – FOUR MINUTES ADDED Croatia pushes for an equalizer, while other matches see Scotland and Denmark battling for crucial results.
89′ – SO CLOSE! Portugal narrowly avoids trouble as Goncalves deals with a dangerous corner, and Kramaric’s shot goes into the side netting.
86′ – VITINHA INJURED Vitinha appears to be injured, but only one substitution is made as Pedro Goncalves replaces Bruno Fernandes.
83′ – SEMEDO DENIED Ronaldo sets up Semedo, but his shot is blocked by Sutalo, preventing him from scoring his first international goal.
80′ – DOUBLE CHANGE FOR CROATIA Ivan Perisic and Petar Sucic replace Jakic and Modric. For Portugal, Antonio Silva comes on for Inacio.
76′ – CLOSE CALL FOR PORTUGAL Matanovic almost scores for Croatia but his shot goes just past the post.
71′ – MODRIC YELLOW CARD Luka Modric receives a yellow card after a heated protest following a foul on Vitinha.
67′ – CRUCIAL TACKLE Diogo Dalot makes a vital tackle to stop Pasalic from having a clear shot at goal.
64′ – CROATIA STILL PRESSING Matanovic comes on for a debut and takes a long-range shot that is blocked.
61′ – HUGE CHANCE Fernandes’ pass sets up Ronaldo, but Livakovic makes a crucial save.
59′ – MENDES AND RONALDO COMBINE Ronaldo’s pass to Mendes results in a shot that is high and central.
55′ – NEXT GOAL CRUCIAL Ronaldo tries to add to his tally, but his shot is deflected by Caleta-Car.
51′ – NEAR EQUALIZER Pasalic’s shot is blocked for a corner, and Croatia’s header is saved by Costa.
48′ – THREE CHANGES Portugal makes changes with Leao and Neto off, and Dalic replaces Pongracic with Caleta-Car.
46′ – SECOND HALF UNDERWAY Portugal switches to a wing-back formation as the second half begins.
HT – STATS AT THE BREAK Portugal leads 2-1. The game has been tightly contested with equal shots and possession.
HT – OTHER RESULTS San Marino is on the brink of making history, while other matches are underway with various scores.
45′ – HIT THE BAR! Neto’s powerful shot hits the crossbar, narrowly missing a third goal for Portugal.
41′ – GOAL! DALOT OWN GOAL Croatia pulls one back with Dalot accidentally scoring an own goal.
40′ – LIVAKOVIC TO THE RESCUE Livakovic makes a key save to deny Mendes.
37′ – CROATIA STRUGGLING Portugal’s dominance continues as Croatia looks disorganized.
34′ – GOAL!! RONALDO MAKES HISTORY Ronaldo scores his 900th goal with a volley from a Mendes cross, making it 2-0 for Portugal.
30′ – SCORE UPDATE Azerbaijan loses to Sweden. Other UEFA Nations League matches are ongoing.
26′ – CROATIA STRUGGLING Modric’s misplaced pass leads to a weak shot from Kramaric.
23′ – NEARLY 900 Ronaldo’s attempt at goal is blocked by Livakovic, who makes a crucial save.
21′ – FREE KICK SHARED Ronaldo allows a teammate to take a free kick, which Croatia manages to clear.
18′ – CONTROLLED PLAY Portugal takes control as they slow the game down, with a Mexican wave in the stands.
14′ – MODRIC’S SHOT Modric’s long-range shot narrowly misses Costa’s goal.
11′ – PORTUGAL CHANCE Bernardo Silva’s corner leads to a Portugal break and Livakovic makes a sliding clearance.
7′ – GOAL! DALOT OPENS SCORING Dalot scores the opener for Portugal after a well-timed pass from Fernandes.
6′ – FIRST CHANCE Fernandes forces Livakovic into an early save.
4′ – CROATIA CONTROLLING Croatia struggles against Portugal’s midfield, with Kramaric offside.
1′ – KICKOFF The match kicks off with Ronaldo and Modric leading their respective teams.
19:40 – PLAYERS IN TUNNEL Kickoff is just minutes away.
19:35 – TEAMS ANNOUNCED Portugal features a familiar lineup while Croatia adjusts its formation.
19:30 – HISTORY AND CONTEXT Tonight’s match is significant with Ronaldo and Modric continuing their illustrious careers.
19:25 – AROUND THE GROUNDS Updates on other UEFA Nations League matches and fixtures for the weekend.
19:20 – ENGLAND NEWS England prepares for their new campaign in Group B2.
19:15 – UEFA CHANGES UEFA introduces new playoff formats for future competitions.
19:10 – RONALDO AND MODRIC Ronaldo leads Portugal while Modric captains Croatia.
19:00 – WELCOME The UEFA Nations League is back, with a fresh start and exciting matches ahead.
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