Portugal vs Croatia Prediction: Bets, Context, and Lineups
Best Bets for Portugal vs Croatia
- Portugal Victory with odds of @1.60 on Parimatch, equating to a 62% chance of the hosts winning.
- Bernardo Silva to score with odds of @4.00 on Parimatch, indicating a 25% chance of the Portuguese winger scoring.
- Over 2.5 goals with odds of @2.00 on Parimatch, representing a 50% chance for three goals or more.
Portugal should be expected to win against Croatia by a scoreline of 2-1.
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Our Analysis: Form of Both Teams
Portugal host Croatia in their opening Nations League match in Lisbon on Friday evening.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s side were knocked out of the European Championships quarter-finals by France but showed glimpses of their ability with wins against Czech Republic and Turkey
Croatia, however, failed to win a single match in their group stage and as a result, did not progress out of the group. A crushing 3-0 defeat against Spain came before draws with Albania and Italy.
Croatia did beat Portugal 2-1 in a friendly leading up to the Euros, but that result can be taken with a pinch of salt due to the nature of the match. Croatia’s ageing side will struggle to win against the better teams in Europe and that includes Portugal.
Captain Cristiano Ronaldo remains in this Portugal squad and is expected to feature in this match.
Probable Lineups for Portugal vs Croatia
The probable lineup for Portugal in the "system of play."
Costa; Mendes, Dias, Pepe, Cancelo, Fernandes, Palhinha, Vitinha, Leao, Silva, Ronaldo
The probable lineup for Croatia in the "system of play."
Livakovic; Gvardiol, Pongracic, Sutalo, Stanisic, Kovacic, Brozovic, Modric, Sucic, Pasalic, Kramaric
Hosts to claim all three points
Despite neither nation overly impressing at the Euros this summer, Portugal have the upper hand in the competitive head-to-head fixtures.
Within those matches, Portugal hammered Croatia 4-1 in the Nations League - and how they would love to repeat that result.
This time round might not produce a scoreline of that size, but Croatia’s ageing team were carved open in the Euros group stage, and Portugal’s quality and pace should see them create plenty of opportunities.
With the likes of Rafael Leao, Bernardo Silva and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo, Croatia’s defence will be in for a tough evening in Lisbon.
Portugal vs Croatia Bet 1: Portugal Victory @1.70 with Parimatch
Back Man City’s winger to score
Although Ronaldo’s form for Portugal is under question, his presence will have Croatia concerned, which may open up space for Portugal’s wingers. With that being said, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva could be the key to unlocking their defence.
The 30-year-old winger scored three goals in the qualifiers for the Euros, before one at the tournament itself. He’s very much a key figure within Roberto Martinez’s side, especially cutting in from the right-hand side. Silva plays a far more attacking role with his national team, often finding himself on the end of chances.
He’ll likely be up against fellow City teammate Gvardiol, but next to him is Fiorentina’s Marin Pongracic. He’s had a poor start to the domestic season, having been sent off against Parma and receiving yellow cards against Puskas Academy in both Conference League matches.
If Silva can find space behind Gvardiol, the winger will back himself to get the better of Pongracic and space to shoot.
Portugal vs Croatia Bet 2: Bernardo Silva Anytime Scorer @4.00 with Parimatch
Goals on the agenda
Portugal vs Croatia has been a fixture full of goals in recent times. In four of the last five head-to-head matches, both teams have found the back of the net.
In the last three matches, there have been at least three goals, with two of those fixtures producing five goals.
Portugal beat Croatia 3-2 in the last Nations League match, the last time they met in a competitive fixture, which saw four goals scored in the second half.
On that occasion, Portugal scored three second half goals, as Croatia ran out of steam. That might happen once again due a few older players in the squad, which is why over 2.5 goals completes our betting tips. This looks a good bet.
Portugal vs Croatia Bet 3: Over 2.5 Goals @2.00 with Parimatch