Croatia and Portugal enter their round of 16 clash in Lens under contrasting fortunes.
Croatia finished their group stage matches in emphatic fashion, securing a shock 2-1 win over Spain in Bordeaux thanks to Ivan Perisic’s late strike. After disposing of a pre-tournament favourite, Ante Čačić’s side are now building a case to be considered as title threats. Portugal, on the other hand, limped through the group stage with three draws to finish third in a group they were expected to top heading into the competition.
Can Croatia defy the odds again and send Ronaldo’s Portugal crashing out, or will CR7 finally step up to the plate and lead his country to glory? This round of 16 clash in Lens looks to be a defining game for both countries.
Run to the final wide open
After the likes of England and Spain finished the group stages as runners-up, Croatia and Portugal find themselves with a chance to make relatively smooth progress to the final on July 10. With England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany all on one side of the draw, Belgium remain as the only recognised contender for Portugal or Croatia to face.
Ronaldo on the rise?
After missing a penalty against Austria, Cristiano Ronaldo finally broke his duck at Euro 2016 with a second-half brace against Hungary. However, the Real Madrid man showed notable discomfort after contesting a cross as Portugal pushed for a winning goal.
If the 31-year-old can overcome any fitness concerns to take the field in Lens, Ronaldo certainly has the ability to take the match by the scruff of the neck and continue his nation’s title dream.
Modric returns
Croatia produced one of the upsets of the tournament with their win over Spain, and they did so without arguably their best player. Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric was withdrawn early in their 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic and spent the clash with Spain on the bench with a groin injury. However, having watched his rotated line-up beat one of the tournament favourites, Ante Čačić is presented with a selection dilemma – change a winning formula or return his star playmaker to the fold?
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