“We have to look in the future and start to think about the FIFA World Cup in Russian Federation (in 2018) and prepare this team”, Croatia coach Ante Cacic said.
Advertisement
Gareth Bale was the creator of the only goal – an own-goal – to put Wales into the quarters with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland.
Croatia however remained a threat and could have gone ahead on 60 minutes but Domagoj Vida’s header from 10-yards out was flashed wide of the far post after an inviting delivery from Ivan Rakitic.
Against Croatia, the history is on Portugal’s side – as it has won all three of their previous encounters without conceding a goal, including a 3-0 victory in the group stage of Euro 1996.
Nani, who played a role in the winning goal, made his 100th appearance for his country – the fourth player to reach the milestone after Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Fernando Couto.
Portugal will face Poland in the quarter-finals in Marseille on Thursday after the Poles beat Switzerland 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw earlier on Saturday. Seven points and first place in the group became an award to Cacic’s team for an interesting and meaningful football.
It took over 115 minutes for there to be a goal in the Portugal and Croatia Round of 16 match.
Five minutes later; Ivan Perisic – who has scored or assisted seven goals at major tournaments for the Blazers – finally threatened the Portuguese back four, but his shot dragged wide of the near post after cutting inside onto his left foot from the right flank.
“We faced an unbelievable team, they’ve played some of the best football in the group stages”.
Ronaldo refused to accept that Portugal are underdogs against a Croatia side that shocked two-time defending champions Spain to top Group D.
Santos’ defence were completely unaware Croatia had activated a quick corner, giving Ivan Rakitic the opportunity to pick out Marcelo Brozovic from close-range, but he scuffed his shot wide. Before that, not a single shot on target from both Croatia and Portugal, which pretty much says it all about how tedious the game had been to that point.
Nothing so clear fell to Luka Modric, and the Croatia playmaker left the field in tears. Perisic saw his diving header thump the upright, then Portugal countered and Cristiano Ronaldo’s effort was parried by Danijel Subasic, but only into the path of Quaresma for the headed tap-in. “That’s what I am trying to focus on, being ready so that, if the moment comes, we will be in the best possible position to take penalties”.
“It was a very tactical match, we tried to take over but Croatia didn’t let us”.
Vida came agonisingly close to handing his team the lead after Patricio slipped and watched a corner sail over his head, but the defender couldn’t keep his header on target.
Advertisement
“One of the best games in the Euros was Croatia against Spain, and Modric didn’t play, which tells you about the Croatia team”, Santos said.
