Portugal v Croatia - UEFA Nations League result as Cristiano Ronaldo nets 900th career goal in spectacular style - Eurosport
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UPDATE: RONALDO SCORES HISTORIC 900TH GOAL AS PORTUGAL DEFEATS CROATIA
Cristiano Ronaldo made history by becoming the first soccer player to score 900 career goals. His goals helped Portugal defeat Croatia 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League.
Portugal dominated the game, but their two-goal advantage was short-lived. Diogo Dalot, who had scored for the hosts, accidentally put the ball into his own net shortly after.
Even without considering past achievements, Ronaldo's goal stood out as the best among the rest. He skillfully met a cross from Nuno Mendes and volleyed it past Dominik Livakovic, leading to lively celebrations in Lisbon.
Dalot scored his first goal, which looked like it would lead to a big win after a great play by Bruno Fernandes set up his Manchester United teammate to score. Despite not allowing any goals in the last hour of the game, Croatia struggled to create scoring chances as Luka Modric's performance declined.
FINAL SCORE: PORTUGAL 2-1 CROATIA
Costa's powerful kick sends the ball high into the air in Lisbon, signaling the end of the game! Portugal starts their UEFA Nations League journey with a victory, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's goal in the first half. This goal also marks a historic moment as Ronaldo becomes the first player to reach 900 career goals.
Diogo Dalot scored for both teams, but Croatia struggled to generate much creativity throughout the game due to their aging players' diminishing skills.
The final opportunity, just before the clock runs out.
Matanovic misses another opportunity as he sends his header over the bar, and it appears that his chance is now gone.
While Croatia is trying to even up the score, San Marino is close to making history. Scotland has made a comeback to tie the game at 2-2, and Denmark and Slovakia are ahead in the second half.
Portugal is fortunate. Goncalves has substituted Vitinha just in time to handle a threatening corner that Costa struggled to handle effectively.
Croatia holds onto the ball near the penalty area and Sucic's pass finds Kramaric at the back post... but the experienced player mishits his shot and it goes into the side netting.
However, there was a bit of uncertainty regarding who was going to be substituted. It seemed like Bruno Fernandes was going to be taken off for Pedro Goncalves, but Martinez hesitated for too long to see if Vitinha could keep playing. As a result, only one substitution was made.
It's a significant change as Ronaldo receives a warm welcome from the fans in Lisbon and Diogo Jota is substituted into the match.
Ronaldo sprinted down the right side during a quick offensive play before passing it back to Semedo, who has never scored a goal for Portugal.
And the streak remains unbroken all thanks to Sutalo's decisive header, with Martinez poised to reveal his last two moves.
Zlatko Dalic has made all of his decisions for the upcoming games. Ivan Perisic is not currently signed with a team, but he will be joining the Nations league team and taking the place of Kristijan Jakic. Modric will be sitting out to make room for Petar Sucic.
In Portugal, Antonio Silva has replaced Inacio, but is quickly outjumped by Matanovic for a header. And guess what? Matanovic's header is not too far off target.
At the 76th minute, it could have been a remarkable goal.
Croatia's slow tempo in possession causes whistles to sound, but they nearly surprise Portugal.
Matanovic has been very active since he came on the field. He quickly moved into position in the penalty area to connect with a cross from Sucic and took a shot that narrowly missed the goal post.
Matanovic takes the ball from Vitinha and the referee stops the game, prompting Modric to hurry over to argue.
Even though he was the team captain, the legendary player's passionate argument with the referee led to him receiving a yellow card.
Dalot made a crucial play to save a goal. Pasalic saw an opening between the Portuguese defenders and made a run towards Costa's goal, but out of nowhere, Dalot slid in and managed to take the ball away from the striker who was about to have a clear one-on-one chance.
It was also his final contribution, as Luka Sucic stepped in to finish the game.
At the 64th minute, Croatia continues to apply pressure.
Martin Baturina played well in the game, showing promise as a young player for the future of Croatian football at only 21 years old. However, his time on the field is over as Igor Matanovic comes on for his first appearance and immediately takes a shot from afar, which is blocked by a group of Portuguese players.
It was a beautiful play from Portugal. Fernandes skillfully received a long pass and quickly passed it back to Silva, who smoothly controlled the ball before sending a pass to Ronaldo, who was running towards the goal, all in just two moves.
Livakovic competes well against the opposing team's captain, but then the linesman raises his flag for Fernandes' first attempt.
59 minutes into the game, Mendes and Ronaldo team up once more.
This time, it was Nuno Mendes who received the pass from Ronaldo before shooting high and down the middle.
The build-up to the play was messy as Fernandes went down dramatically after a slight collision with Pasalic. Pasalic was then easily pushed off the ball.
The upcoming goal will be extremely important - you doubt Croatia can make another comeback from being down by two goals again.
Ronaldo tried to score a goal after Mendes passed the ball to him following a skillful run, but Caleta-Car blocked the shot, sending it over the goal.
51st minute - SO CLOSE TO SCORING!
After receiving a long ball from Josip Sutalo, Pasalic controlled it well and attempted a shot that was blocked for a corner. Croatia managed to get a header on the cross from around 10 yards out, but it went straight to Costa.
Portugal has made two substitutions, with Joao Neves coming on for Rafael Leao and Nelson Semedo replacing Pedro Neto, who missed a great opportunity right before half-time.
Zlatko Dalic was worried about Duje Caleta-Car's health before this match, but he has been substituted by Marin Pongracic in the second half.
The second half has now started.
Martinez has made two changes to the lineup. Portugal has decided to play with wing-backs instead of their initial formation of 4-3-3. Mendes is now leading the offensive.
The game doesn't appear to be as close as these statistics indicate.
Remember, we are rooting for San Marino tonight. They have a real opportunity to win their second game and are still in the running after Liechtenstein had a goal disallowed. If they secure the victory, it would be their first win in 20 years and the first in a competitive match.
In the home countries, Paddy McNair and Daniel Ballard scored at Windsor Park while a penalty by Robert Lewandowski increased Poland's advantage after Sebastian Szymanski's first goal for Scotland.
Outcome: Azerbaijan was defeated by Sweden with a score of 1-3 in Group C.
The match between Denmark and Switzerland ended in a draw with a score of 0-0.
Northern Ireland beat Luxembourg 2-0 in a game.
The match between San Marino and Liechtenstein ended in a draw with a score of 0-0.
HT - What football games are airing on TNT Sports?
TNT Sports will broadcast more than 500 games from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League, along with special Premier League matches throughout the 2024-25 season.
Fans can watch TNT Sports and Eurosport on discovery+, the top streaming service for sports in the UK. Get all the action and entertainment you love in one convenient subscription.
Games that are scheduled during the blackout period on Saturdays in the UK cannot be broadcast live. The blackout period prevents games from being televised between 2:45 PM and 5:15 PM in the UK.
Intermission: Portugal is leading Croatia by two goals to one.
Sosa plays the ball out for a corner kick, but the referee decides that there is not enough time to take the kick due to the one additional minute of added time.
Even though the Portuguese players tried to influence the referees, they remained unaffected. In the end, everything ended with smiles as Modric eventually convinced Ronaldo to leave. The former teammates shared a laugh and headed into the tunnel together.
What an exciting end to this first half! Neto is sprinting down the left side and despite the defense scrambling, he continues to push forward before taking a powerful shot from a short distance. The ball narrowly misses the goalkeeper Livakovic but unfortunately hits the crossbar and bounces away from Ronaldo.
41st minute - Goal! Portugal leads Croatia 2-1 after Dalot scores an own goal.
He scored a goal for each team today and suddenly, Croatia is back in the game! Livakovic's fast decision-making led to a counterattack and Kramaric, who was offside earlier, perfectly timed his run to receive the ball on the right side of the penalty area.
He skillfully lifts the ball before delivering a pass along the ground to a teammate sprinting forward. At first, it seems like the opportunity has been lost, but then Borna Sosa slides in to redirect the ball back into the penalty area where Dalot inadvertently shoots it over Costa.
Livakovic has proven to be one of Croatia's top performers in tonight's match, making a bold decision to quickly come out and stop Mendes.
The Croatia team appears to be tired and sloppy.
What happened to Portugal in the Euros?
The 2022 World Cup semi-finals have been intense, with one team outshining Croatia. The game has been back and forth, with Leao almost breaking away from the defense but ultimately losing possession of the ball.
34th minute of the match and Portugal now leads Croatia 2-0 after a goal scored by Ronaldo.
This is the moment everyone has been waiting for, Cristiano Ronaldo's 900th goal!
The blog post was also very straightforward, with a fast-paced Nuno Mendes cross finding its way to the legendary player in the penalty area. He quickly reacted and scored with his right foot, leaving Livakovic unable to stop the ball from going in.
While Kramaric's impressive shot was saved by Costa, don't forget we're also bringing you live updates from the Spain-Serbia match tonight. Here's a recap of the other UEFA Nations League matches that have taken place in the first half hour.
Outcome: Azerbaijan loses to Sweden with a score of 1-3 in Group C.
Denmark and Switzerland tied 0-0 in their match, ending in a draw.
Northern Ireland defeated Luxembourg 2-0 in their recent game.
San Marino and Liechtenstein played to a draw with a final score of 0-0.
Croatia opted for a short corner, but Modric's pass to Martin Baturina, typically reliable, went awry from just five yards away. This is a rare mistake from the usually precise player.
Finally, Kramaric creates a chance to shoot, but it goes wide from outside the box. The visiting team looks tired at the moment.
The audience is eager to witness a historic moment this evening, and they come close to getting it as Ronaldo connects with a clever backheel from Rafael Leao while running at top speed.
Even though he successfully kicks a low shot towards the goal, the angle is difficult, and Livakovic positions himself perfectly to block the shot and only give away a corner.
21 minutes in - What is happening?
Ronaldo has a chance for a free kick within shooting distance and decides to let his teammate take it instead? The ball is sent towards the far post, posing a threat, but Croatia manages to defend it successfully.
There was a quiet period in the event at the 18th minute.
Another attempt from a distance went directly to Costa, and Portugal has now chosen to take charge of the game, leading to a wave of excitement in the stands.
Incredible shot from Modric! Mario Pasalic passes the ball to him as he moves towards the edge of the penalty area. Modric takes a curling shot towards the near post, but unfortunately, it just misses the target.
Bernado Silva gives away a corner, but it results in an opportunity for Portugal! They quickly kick the ball up the field on a counterattack, forcing Livakovic to sprint almost to the center circle to clear the danger with a sliding maneuver.
7 minutes have passed and Portugal has scored a goal against Croatia. Dalot was the one who scored. Portugal is now leading 1-0 against Croatia.
What a great beginning for Portugal! Fernandes is once again leading the way as he quietly moves in from the left side and has many choices to consider. He ultimately decides to make a precise pass to the Manchester United defender, whose timed run was impeccable.
Dalot had some distance to cover as he sprinted towards the goal, closely followed by Borna Sosa. Despite the pressure, he managed to adjust his body position and shoot past Livakovic to score and secure the lead!
The atmosphere at the Estadio de Luz peaks when Ronaldo takes control of the ball, but it is Fernandes who puts pressure on Dominik Livakovic with the first shot on goal. The ball rebounds to him at the edge of the box, but his quick attempt is not enough to beat the keeper.
Portugal has chosen three additional attacking midfielders and they successfully pass their initial test by containing Croatia's possession until Andrej Kramaric goes offside.
Following a long chat between captains Ronaldo and Modric and a moment of silence for Benfica legend Adolfo Calisto, the match has started! Portugal is starting in their grey uniforms, facing a Croatia team in blue.
At 7:40 PM, the players are getting ready in the tunnel.
Only five minutes until the game starts!
Pepe has stopped playing and Roberto Martinez made changes to the team by leaving out Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, and Francisco Conceicao, among others. Some new players have been added to the squad, including 17-year-old Geovany Quenda, who has only played in four senior matches. However, the starting lineup remains mostly the same.
Formation: 4-3-3 Players: Costa, Dalot, Dias, Inacio, Mendes, Silva, Vitinha, Fernandes, Neto, Ronaldo, Leao.
Injuries have affected Zlatko Dalic's squad, leaving him without enough players for the full-back position. As a result, he has changed the team's formation in Lisbon.
In the recent lineup, Livakovic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol, Jakic, Modric, Baturina, Kovacic, Sosa, Pasalic, and Kramaric played key roles on the field.
As we're busy dealing with the struggle to qualify for the quarter-finals in this tournament, San Marino is faced with a much more crucial challenge tonight.
They are up against Liechtenstein and there is a good chance they could win their second game ever, first one since 2004 and first competitive victory ever. So make sure to watch out for that match too...
19:25 - AT THE STADIUMS
The new season has started, and two teams have already scored four goals in the second half in Baku. Here are the matches for tonight and a preview of the upcoming weekend, including coverage of Spain-Serbia on TNT Sports.
Azerbaijan lost 1-3 to Sweden in Group C.
Serbia will be facing off against Spain, Scotland will take on Poland, and Denmark will play against Switzerland in Group A. In Group C, Belarus will play against Bulgaria, Estonia will face Slovakia, and Northern Ireland will go up against Luxembourg. The only match in Group D will be between San Marino and Liechtenstein, all kicking off at 19:45.
Friday, June 9th: Wales will play against Turkey at 7:45 PM. On Saturday, June 7th, Ireland will face England at 5:00 PM (UK time).
Most of the players are not to blame, as we have already discussed. UEFA has listened to worries about player safety and decided to forgo additional matchday income in order to decrease the number of games- just kidding, they have actually included more playoffs in the schedule.
Teams that come in third place in their pool will compete against the second-place team from the group below in a two-legged match. The winner will advance to the higher group for the 2026/27 competition.
An interesting twist comes with Group A, as their four second-place teams will go head-to-head with the top teams from their respective pools in the Nations League quarter-finals. These matches will be played over two legs in March 2025. The victorious teams will advance to the semi-finals and final, which will be held in a single country, similar to previous tournaments.
It also has consequences for qualifying for the World Cup, but by the time that comes around, you'll probably have forgotten all the details anyway, so we'll hold off on that explanation for now.
The Spain women's soccer team celebrated their victory in the UEFA Women's Nations League final match against France. Irene Paredes proudly lifted the trophy as her team rejoiced at Estadio La Cartuja on February 28, 2024.
Picture source: Getty Images
WHAT GAMES ARE AIRING ON TNT SPORTS FOR FOOTBALL?
TNT Sports has announced that they will broadcast more than 500 games from the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Conference League for the 2024-25 season. They will also have exclusive rights to show Premier League matches.
The place to watch TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, a platform where fans can sign up for a subscription that gives them access to not only TNT Sports, but also Eurosport and entertainment all in one place.
Any games scheduled during the blackout period on Saturdays in the UK cannot be broadcast live. The blackout period restricts games from being televised between 2:45 PM and 5:15 PM in the UK.
At 19:10, Ronaldo is the main player for Portugal.
Similarly, Roberto Martinez selects a well-known lineup for Portugal, including a familiar player in the forward position.
At 7:05 PM, Modric leads Croatia as team captain.
Next week, Luka Modric will celebrate his 39th birthday, but tonight he is back on the team with only three changes from their elimination in Euro 2024.
19:00 - GREETINGS AND WELCOME
The Nations League is making a comeback, and it's larger than before! This marks the start of a new era in European national soccer as the Euro 2024 competition is reset and teams start preparing for the upcoming World Cup, which will involve more teams. Or at least that's the plan.
However, for Portugal and Croatia, today's match seems like just another day at the office. This is especially evident in the fact that Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo are still key players on their teams, with a combined 77 years of experience and numerous trophies under their belts.
Portugal was the top team in the Euros qualification rounds, with many of their key players still in their prime. Meanwhile, Croatia boasts experienced players like Modric, Perisic, and Kramaric, who all played in the 2018 World Cup final.
Maybe the next year will be a final opportunity to win some trophies before things change. There's a better chance this time to make it to the UEFA Nations League knockout stage, but we'll talk about that later. The match starts in 45 minutes!
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric
Picture source: Getty Images
TNT Sports has announced that they will broadcast more than 500 games from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League during the 2024-25 season. Viewers in the UK can stream these matches on discovery+, which offers a subscription package containing TNT Sports, Eurosport, and various entertainment options all in one place.
