Portugal vs. Croatia Predictions

• When: Friday, July 3, 1:00 am CET
• Where: Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada

Both teams have high hopes for this tournament, yet one of them will go home after this event. They know one another very well, having met multiple times in recent years, and each time we saw excellent, thrilling football. Portugal is a slight favorite, but do know that the Croatian team has always been an underdog, yet it has achieved fantastic results.

Portugal vs. Croatia Preview

Portugal

We have to say that Portugal didn’t impress us during the group stage. Sure, they progressed easily, but a tie against Congo at the opener, 1-1, raised numerous questions. Selecao bounced back to beat Uzbekistan 5-0 and later played a goalless draw vs. Colombia.

Something is missing in this team, and even though it has numerous world-class players, it doesn’t play at an equal level. Many believe it’s because Ronaldo isn’t as sharp as before, while on the other side, the team doesn’t have a proper replacement for him.

Still, the team posts good results, not losing in the past 8 matches. It had 6 wins and 3 ties, scoring twice or more in 5 contests during this span.

Croatia

Croats arrive in Toronto riding a wave of momentum after clinching a vital second-place finish in Group L. Zlatko Dalić’s unit booked their ticket to the knockout phase with a 2-1 victory over Ghana. Previously, Croatia lost to England 4-2 and beat Panama 1-0, though they didn’t deserve the win in that one.

The main virtue of this team is an exceptional midfield. Modric and the boys are tactically advanced, and they have enough experience to stay composed under any pressure. Plus, their adaptability is incredible.

When Croatia plays, it’s usually interesting. Over the past 10 games Vatreni had, 8 ended with over 2.5 goals. In 7, we saw the Croats scoring twice or more.

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Portugal and Croatia Possible Lineups

Portugal: Costa; Mendes, Dias, Veiga, Cancelo; Neves, Vitinha; Leao, Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo

Croatia: Livaković; Stanišić, Šutalo, Pongračić, Perišić; Kovačić, Modrić; Vlašić, Sučić, Baturina; Budimir

Portugal vs Croatia Head to Head

Since 1996, these teams have played 10 times. The three most recent games all took place in 2024, with both units winning, losing, and drawing. Both wins were 2-1, and the draw was 1-1. What is important to note is that the previous 6 head-to-head encounters all saw both teams net, and 4 of them concluded with at least 3 goals.

Portugal vs. Croatia Predictions

Everyone believes this will be a low-scoring affair, but we don’t share such an opinion. The thing here is that Croatia, even though it prefers tactical football, plays highly efficient games. Portugal’s matches usually include a moderate number of goals. Now, we are aware of the stakes, but these two teams know one another very well, and as you can see from the head-to-head matches, when they play, goals are always included.

Our verdict: Over 2.5 goals

Portugal versus Croatia Odds

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