Croatia vs. Portugal 

The stakes are high for Croatia as they meet Portugal in a handsomely-looking UEFA Nations League group-stage finale at the Stadion Poljud.

Croatia’s hopes of securing a place in the Nations League quarter-finals took a significant hit last week as out-of-sorts Scotland stunned them 1-0 at Hampden Park, extinguishing their bid to land a top-table finish in Group A1. It was their second defeat in this section following a narrow 1-0 loss at Portugal on matchday one, and another disturbing result could see them slump to third. With three points separating them from Poland and Scotland, a draw would suffice. Despite their form wobble, Zlatko Dalic’s men have only once lost back-to-back internationals since June 2021. Furthermore, they have suffered just two defeats across their last 16 matches on home turf over a four-year period (W10, D4), suggesting they’re well-positioned to avenge a 2-1 heartbreak in September’s reverse fixture.

In the meantime, Portugal brushed Poland aside with a spectacular 5-1 home win last week to secure a top-table finish with a game to spare, maintaining a near-perfect record in Group A1 (W4, D1). Seeking their second Nations League triumph after winning the inaugural edition in 2018/18, Roberto Martinez’s side can afford to relax as they aim to strengthen their eye-catching nine-game H2H run against Croatia (W7, D1, L1). The Selecao can find inspiration in their stellar away record in the Nations League, having suffered just one defeat in ten such fixtures to date (W5, D4), including a 3-2 win at Croatia in 2020.