Coach Ante Cacic has given Luka Modric a new role, so he’s spending more time in Bergkamp/Sheringham-positions.
Modric is 30 now, so it suits him.
Portugal have always had the skills. But their temperament usually lets them down.
If Croatia score first, Ronaldo and & co might really struggle.
Having said that, the Portuguese are clever tactically and are trained from schooldays to use the whole of the clock. They always think they can get a goal in the 92th minute
Ronaldo’s goals in the 3-3 games against Hungary were both astonishing.
But he didn’t play well.
The first goal came from a cross that was almost as hard as a shot and no player on this planet other than Cristiano Ronaldo could have flicked that ball into the net as hard or accurately as he did. If his second one was slightly less startling, it was because we see Ronaldo score power headers like that all the time.
Here is my best guess: Croatia can play better than they did against Spain, when they came from behind to win 2-1 in the finest match we’ve seen so far.
Modric, Pirisic and their Adriatic friends can add 10% to what they did here.