Late drama, VAR checks, and 19 minutes of stoppage time led to Portugal advancing to the Round of 16 for a heavyweight battle against Spain next week.
With a domination in possession and the majority of chances going Portugal’s way, there was only one clear chance in the first half, coming in the 4th minute. Leao made a swift run forward and spotted Fernandes, who took a powerful, low shot on goal, forcing Croatia goalkeeper Livakovic to make a save.
Despite the run of play favoring Portugal, the first goal of the night came in the 53rd minute from Croatia. Stanisic put a great cross into the box, and it was flicked on to the far post where Perisic is completely unmarked. He had plenty of time and space, and slotted home the chance to give Croatia the lead.
The game completely changed in the 66th minute. Replays clearly showed Vlasic dragging on Veiga’s shirt, resulting in a penalty for Portugal after a look at the monitor. Ronaldo fired his penalty straight down the middle, beat Livakovic, and scored his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stages.
With the game looking as if it was going to extra time, the stoppage time drama began in the 94th minute when Goncalo Ramos scored the winner for Portugal. Leao found space and delivered an exquisite ball into the box. The cross could not have been placed any better, and Ramos rose between two defenders to find the top-right corner with a decisive header.
The drama continued in the 105th minute when Croatia thought they had found a last-minute equalizer. Pasalic was indeed offside, but only due to Matanovic’s faint flick-on in the box. Perisic’s initial ball was great, and Pasalic’s positioning was absolutely fine. However, VAR confirmed that the striker made the slightest touch. This ultimately rules Pasalic offside, resulting in Gvardiol’s goal being disallowed.
With the ruled-out goal, Portugal managed to secure the win and will not play Spain on July 6 at 8:00 pm ET in Dallas Stadium.
