Portugal booked their place in the Round of 16, where an enticing showdown with Spain now awaits.

Croatia looked on course to upset the odds after breaking the deadlock, but Portugal showed their resilience when it mattered most.

Roberto Martinez’s side mounted a late comeback, eventually snatching a dramatic 2-1 victory deep into stoppage time.

Here are our Scout Notes from the game, featuring match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.

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PORTUGAL 2-1 CROATIA

• Goals: Ronaldo, Ramos | Perisic
• Assists: Leao, Veiga | Stanisic
• Tackle bonus: Neves | Sulc, Vlasic, Modric
• Top points scorers: Perisic (8), Ramos (8), Ronaldo (7), Leao (7)

TEAM STATS

PLAYER STATS

SCOUT NOTES

• Portugal made two changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Colombia in Round 3. João Neves ($6.5m) replaced Rúben Neves ($5.9m) in central midfield, while Rafael Leão ($7.8m) came in for João Félix ($6.5m) on the left wing. Croatia named an unchanged XI following their victory over Ghana.
• The overall statistics were fairly even. Portugal controlled 60% of the possession and generated 2.20 xG (expected goals), compared to Croatia’s 1.34. However, Croatia created four big chances to Portugal’s three and finished with just two fewer attempts on goal. It was a game of two halves. Portugal dominated the opening 45 minutes. Croatia responded after the break, creating more chances and looking more dangerous.
• Portugal did not have things all their own way. Croatia struck first through Ivan Perišić ($6.3m), who controlled Josip Stanišić’s ($4.4m) cross before firing a low finish in from a tight angle. Croatia kept asking questions. Mateo Kovačić ($6.0m) hit the post before forcing another excellent save moments later. Petar Sučić ($5.4m) had a goal ruled out for offside. He then clipped a superb pass over the top for Mario Pašalić ($5.8m), who squandered a big chance. Portugal’s biggest escape came deep into stoppage time when Joško Gvardiol’s ($5.0m) equaliser was ruled out.
• By hook or by crook, Portugal still got the result many expected. The number of chances they conceded, however, may concern Fantasy managers, especially with Spain waiting in the next round. After the match, Roberto Martínez reflected on his side’s defensive display, saying:

“The first half was very good… we totally nullified what Croatia do very well… The second half was totally different. The game opened up more, Croatia managed to have a bit of the ball.

• Portugal created plenty of chances, but Bruno Fernandes ($8.5m) had little influence on the game. Outside of a tame effort on target, he struggled to make an impact. Martínez substituted him in the 63rd minute alongside Vitinha ($6.4m), a decision that naturally drew attention after the match. Asked about the double substitution in his post-match press conference, the Portugal manager said:

“We have very defined attacking patterns. Today was a good day to play through the inside, but we couldn’t, and it was the moment to use more width, more depth… It was simply a case of using our patterns. We’ve done this before in the Nations League… Today we made four substitutions because I thought it matched the moment of the game.”

• João Cancelo ($5.3m) also left the pitch after avoiding a third successive half-time substitution. Pedro Neto ($6.4m) made way around the hour mark too, although he arguably offered more than most. He delivered several dangerous balls from the flank. Most failed to find a teammate, but one did lead to Cristiano Ronaldo ($10.0m) prodding the ball past the goalkeeper. Unfortunately for both players, the offside flag ruled it out.
• Ronaldo struggled to influence the game for long periods. However, his penalty proved crucial. Without it, Portugal may not have found a route back into the match. Renato Veiga ($4.3m) won the spot-kick after being pulled down inside the box. He also missed a huge headed chance early on.
• Nuno Mendes ($5.8m) created that opportunity for Veiga and finished as Portugal’s top creator. He produced two big chances and four key passes. Veiga won the penalty from a Mendes corner, but the PSG full-back also created from open play. His line-splitting pass found Leão, who smashed a shot from outside the box against the bar.
• Leão justified his start ahead of João Félix on the left wing. He teed up Fernandes early on, hit the woodwork himself and later delivered the decisive cross. Gonçalo Ramos ($7.5m) met it with a header and made the most of his 27-minute cameo to win the game for Portugal.
• Portugal may feel fortunate to have come away with the win. They created chances, but several key players failed to convince. They also conceded multiple big chances, which Fantasy managers should factor in before investing.
• On a positive note, Portugal finished the match without any fresh injury concerns, at least based on what Roberto Martínez provided in his post-match press conference.