Frank Christian
Portugal celebrates its successful UEFA Nations League group stage as they face Croatia in an away match in Split.
Last week’s impressive 5-1 victory against Poland cemented Portugal’s lead in Group A1, with Cristiano Ronaldo contributing two goals to the score.
Ronaldo has returned to Al Nassr, and manager Roberto Martinez may utilize the opportunity to experiment with different players, as the qualification is already achieved and club commitments are rising.
Following Poland’s recent results, Croatia needs just one point to progress with Portugal into the quarterfinals.
The Sporting News provides live commentary and updates for the Croatia vs. Portugal match.
Latest live updates | Team news and lineups | Where to watch
Croatia vs. Portugal score
| 1st Half | Goal scorers | |
| Croatia | 0 | |
| Portugal | 0 |
Location: Stadion Poljud, Split
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)
Lineups:
Croatia (3-4-3, right to left): Livakovic (GK) — Sutalo, Caleta-Car, Gvardiol — Perisic, Modric, Kovacic, Sosa — Kramaric, Matanovic, Baturina
Portugal (3-5-2, right to left): Jose Sa (GK) — Semedo, Araujo, Veiga — Cancelo, J. Neves, Vitinha, Otavio, Mendes — Joao Felix, Leao
Croatia vs. Portugal live updates, highlights, and commentary
1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: Lineups reveal significant changes for Portugal as Joao Felix and Rafael Leao take on attacking roles. Croatia’s experienced midfield duo, Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, will aim to control the game while Portugal’s midfield trio looks to match up effectively.
1 hr 45 mins before kickoff. Welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of the UEFA Nations League clash between Croatia and Portugal. Portugal has already advanced to the knockout rounds and Croatia needs just a point to catch up.
Croatia vs. Portugal kick-off time
The match is scheduled to start at 8:45 p.m. local time in Split.
Here are the kick-off times for different regions:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Mon, Nov 18 | 2:45 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Mon, Nov 18 | 2:45 p.m. ET |
| UK | Mon, Nov 18 | 7:45 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Tue, Nov 19 | 6:45 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Tue, Nov 19 | 1:15 a.m. IST |
Croatia vs. Portugal lineups, expected starting 11, team news
Following their unexpected loss to Scotland, Croatia’s coach Zlatko Dalic has made several adjustments to the lineup.
Petar Sucic is suspended from play, but veteran Ivan Perisic is back in the starting role.
Luka Modric continues in central midfield with Mateo Kovacic after both played full matches against Scotland.
Croatia (3-4-3, right to left): Livakovic (GK) — Sutalo, Caleta-Car, Gvardiol — Perisic, Modric, Kovacic, Sosa — Kramaric, Matanovic, Baturina
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Dominic, Kotarsi, Domink Livakovic, Nediljko Labrovic, Ivica Ivusic.
Defenders: Marin Pongracic, Josko Gvardiol, Duje Caltea-Car, Josip Sutalo, Borna Sosa.
Midfielders: Nikolo Moro, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Nikola Vlasic, Mario Pasalic, Martin Baturina, Luka Sucic.
Forwards: Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Marco Pasalic, Mislav Orsic, Marko Pjaca, Igor Matanovic, Ante Budimir.
With the group stage secured, Martinez has decided to release four players from the Portugal squad, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is back at Al Nassr, while other players like Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Pedro Neto have also returned to their clubs.
Joao Felix and Vitinha join the starting lineup following Portugal’s recent success.
Portugal (3-5-2, right to left): Jose Sa (GK) — Semedo, Araujo, Veiga — Cancelo, J. Neves, Vitinha, Otavio, Mendes — Joao Felix, Leao
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Rui Silva,
Defenders: Nelson Semedo, Tomas Araujo, Antonio Silva, Diogo Dalot, Renato Veiga, Nuno Tavares, Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo, Tiago Djalo.
Midfielders: Samu Costa, Joao Neves, Otavio, Vitinha.
Forwards: Francisco Trincao, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, Francisco Conceicao, Fabio Silva, Geovany Quenda.
Croatia vs. Portugal live stream, TV channel
This UEFA Nations League match can be watched through various channels in different regions worldwide:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | Fox Sports 2 | Fubo, ViX, Fox Sports App |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK | — | Viaplay YouTube |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | — | Sony LIV, JioTV |
