Croatia 1-1 Portugal Player Ratings: Gvardiol’s equaliser earns Croatia quarter-final berth in Nations League

Croatia came from behind to produce a 1-1 draw against Portugal in their final group game of the UEFA Nations League while qualifying for the last eight in the process. The match was of no consequence to Selecao but the hosts needed a victory or a draw to keep their quarter-final hopes alive, especially with Scotland also battling for the second place in the group. The Croats were off to an underwhelming start when Joao Felix scored a stunning strike to put Portugal ahead in the first half after timing his run perfectly behind the defence.

However, the hosts came out with increased energy after the break, establishing their dominance in possession while creating a handful of chances. A brilliant cross from substitute Kristijan Jankic caught Portugal’s defence off-guard, with Josko Gvardiol finding himself at the end of it to poke home to equalise in the 65th minute. The Croats went all out for the victory with an upsurge in momentum, keeping the Portuguese defenders on their toes. And the visitors would be feeling fortunate enough to get away with a draw.

Croatia Player Ratings vs Portugal

Goalkeeper

Dominik Livakovic: 6/10 – Produced a couple of decent saves in the first half but was found wanting against Felix’s powerful hit. Made amends by making a huge close-range save to deny Mendes in the second half.

Defenders

Josko Gvardiol: 8/10 – Croatia’s saviour delivered an exceptional display. The Manchester City defender constantly surged forward to make things happen and arrived at the right time to get the equaliser. Defensively, he was also massive.

Duje Caleta-Car: 6/10 – Made 2 recoveries and delivered 4 passes into the final third.

Josip Sutalo: 5/10 – Struggled to keep hold of Leao throughout the first half and was beaten by Felix for the opener.

Midfielders

Borna Sosa: 4/10 – Was erratic in possession and hauled off at the break.

Mateo Kovacic: 6/10 – One of Croatia’s best players on the pitch but was replaced at half-time. Was secure with possession and displayed a great engine to progress the ball forward and shield the defence. Made a precise through ball to Matanovic.

Luka Modric: 7/10 – A solid performance from the Croatian captain. Created constant danger with his progressive passes and his work rate was also impressive for his age.

Ivan Perisic: 5/10 – The experienced Croat failed to make a big impact.

Attackers

Martin Baturina: 6/10 – Became lively in the second half, dropping between the lines alongside Pasalic. Linked up well with with quick touches and tried to play some defence-splitting passes.

Andrej Kramaric: 6/10 – Was unfortunate to hit the frame of the post in the first half.

Igor Matanovic: 5/10 – The 21-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt forward showed moments of brilliance by dropping deep into the space to aid the build-up but failed to be a goal threat.

Substitutes

Mario Pasalic: 6/10 – Enjoyed a great spell helping Croatia to be on the front foot constantly in the second half

Kristijan Jakic: 7/10 – His introduction brought a change in Croatia’s fortunes as he set up Gvardiol’s goal with a precise cross.

Luka Sucic: 5/10 – Looked threatening in the forward line, forcing a great save from Jose Sa with a left-footed strike.

Ante Budimir: 5/10 – Hit the post once and also had his shot on the rebound tipped over by Sa.

Nikola Moro: N/A

Manager

Zlatko Dalic: 7/10 – Dalic deserves the credit for unleashing Croatia’s attacking potential in the second half. The substitutions also fell in place as the Croatians showed more hunger to be far superior than Portugal, eventually earning the equaliser.

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Portugal Player Ratings vs Croatia

Goalkeeper

Jose Sa: 6/10 – His efforts were found wanting after getting beaten at the near post by Gvardiol for the equaliser but he made it up with a top-notch reflex on the rebound to deny Budimir.

Defenders

Renato Veiga: 7/10 – Guarded the backline with his physicality, squeezing Croatia’s attackers. Made a vital interception to deny Perisic’s cross. Was also aerially great.

Tomas Araujo: 7/10 – An impressive debut adorned with a handful of delightful long balls and through-balls. But the downside was the potential injury he suffered in the second half.

Nelson Semedo: 5/10 – Was caught on the blind side by Gvardiol for the equaliser.

Midfielders

Nuno Mendes: 7/10 – The PSG defender was slotted in seamlessly into the back three and was also brilliant when venturing forward as a left wing-back. Missed a glorious chance from close range after a fine save by Livakovic.

Joao Neves: 6/10 – Neves put in another good showing, hitting a pass accuracy of 94% and winning 3 tackles

Vitinha: 8/10 – The midfield instigator of Portugal, Vitinha produced a high-quality performance. Hardly put a foot wrong be it dictating the tempo, evading the pressure, circulating the ball and progressing the play. Hit a sweeping long pass to find Joao Felix for the opening goal.

Otavio: 6/10 – Otavio grew into the game, showing his eye for defence-splitting through-balls.

Joao Cancelo: 7/10 Being awarded the free role, Cancelo displayed a wide range of skills when progressing the ball and creating danger in the attacking third. He also made 6 recoveries

Attackers

Rafael Leao: 6/10 – A real menace to the defenders, leaving them in limbo with his ruthless pace and dribbling. Forced a save from Livakovic and curled his shot wide in the first half.

Joao Felix: 8/10 – Showed his immense quality with a remarkable display. Dropped between the lines to create constant danger and linked up well with his teammates. Made a timely run behind the defence and made a masterful first touch before blasting the nets with his left foot. Could have added an assist after a brilliant pass to Leao.

Substitutes

Francisco Conceicao: 5/10 – Looked dangerous from the moment he stepped foot on the pitch, whipping in a great cross to Mendes, whose shot was saved in the end.

Tiago Djalo: N/A

Fabio Silva: N/A

Diogo Dalot: N/A

Manager

Roberto Martinez: 6/10 – Martinez wouldn’t have appreciated the result although the game was a dead rubber for Portugal. Despite dominating the first half, complacency crept into Selecao in the second period, eventually succumbing to concede the equaliser. This will also be a lesson for Martinez on what a lapse in concentration or trying to be passive would cost.

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