Croatia secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League after a thrilling 1-1 draw against Portugal on Monday at Stadion Poljud.
Josko Gvardiol emerged as the hero for the hosts, canceling out Joao Felix’s opening goal in the second half.
Portugal, already assured of finishing top in Group A1, took the lead in the 33rd minute when Joao Felix expertly struck the ball into the net following a well-placed pass from Vitinha.
The goal was confirmed after a VAR review for offside, giving Portugal a crucial edge in the match.
Despite trailing, Croatia refused to back down. They came close to equalizing several times, with Andrej Kramaric hitting the crossbar and Gvardiol having an earlier goal ruled out for offside.
However, in the 65th minute, Gvardiol finally found the net with a powerful finish from Kristijan Jakic’s cross, leveling the score and securing Croatia’s advancement.
The match saw several missed opportunities for both sides, with Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and Portugal’s Jose Sa making impressive saves.
Despite Portugal’s dominance in possession, they failed to convert 11 attempts into more than a single goal, showcasing a lack of clinical finishing in the absence of key players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.
As a result, Croatia finished the group stage with a crucial point that saw them edge past Scotland, setting the stage for an exciting quarter-final showdown.
