Nations League Preview: Ronaldo Chasing Goal Milestone, Portugal vs Croatia May Be a Decisive Battle from the Start

On September 6 at 2:45 AM, in the first round of Group A in League A of the Nations League, Portugal will host Croatia. Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric will face off, and Ronaldo will also be aiming for his personal career milestone of 900 goals (currently at 899), which is undoubtedly the biggest highlight.

This is the first appearance of both teams since the 2024 European Championship. In the European Championship, the Portuguese team reached the quarter-finals but was eliminated by France after a penalty shootout; the Croatian team did not win any matches, finishing only third in their group and thus failing to advance beyond the group stage.

Ronaldo did not score in the European Championship, performing below expectations, but upon returning to the Saudi League, he regained form with high efficiency. With Ronaldo’s return to the national team, whether he can score again for Portugal in the Nations League is a point of interest. Bernardo Silva expressed ambition for the Nations League: “Since 2016, expectations from fans for Portugal have increased significantly, and our goal in the Nations League will be to win the championship.” Portugal’s coach Roberto Martinez said: “Everyone will see an energetic and eager Portuguese team. Croatia also likes to control the ball. These two teams, both skilled in ball possession and playing attacking football, will bring an exciting match to the fans.”

In the announced squad for the Nations League, Croatia includes stars such as Modric, Kovacic, and Perisic. At the past two World Cups, Croatia achieved one runner-up and one third-place finish. Croatia’s coach Zlatko Dalic commented: “In the past seven years, the Croatian team has won three medals, which is a great achievement, but it will be difficult to replicate such miracles.”

In Group A of the Nations League, the four participating teams are Croatia, Portugal, Poland, and Scotland. Among them, Portugal and Croatia are the strongest two teams overall, and the qualification for the knockout stages is likely to be decided between these two teams, making their first match akin to a decisive battle.

In previous encounters, Portugal has dominated with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss; in matches at Portugal’s home ground, Portugal has 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss against Croatia.

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