Portugal 2-1 Croatia: Martinez's bold call to substitute Ronaldo pays off as Ramos seals last-16 spot

Portugal are done to the past 16 of the World Cup. Roberto Martinez's broadside came from down to bushed Croatia 2-1 connected Thursday successful Toronto, confirming their spot among the last 16 teams successful the tournament.

The victory, however, was defined not lone by Portuguese prime connected the shot but besides by a courageous determination from their manager successful the closing stages.

With the people locked astatine 1-1, Martinez produced the defining infinitesimal of the lucifer by substituting Cristiano Ronaldo successful the 80th minute. The 41-year-old, who had scored the equaliser from the punishment spot, near the transportation visibly frustrated, though helium shook hands with his manager, making mode for Goncalo Ramos. Moments later, Ramos met a Rafael Leao transverse and headed successful the extremity that sent Portugal through.

The substitution encapsulated a uncommon evening for Martinez. Frequently criticised for his selections and for Portugal's inability to crook endowment into convincing performances, the Spaniard saw his idiosyncratic decisions specify a World Cup knockout match.

Portugal vs. Croatia: What conscionable happened?

Portugal started with existent intensity. Martinez's broadside pressed Croatia's build-up aggressively and looked to suffocate the absorption done the flanks, with Pedro Neto connected the close and Leao connected the near some heavy involved. Livakovic was called into enactment connected respective occasions to contradict the Portuguese.

As the fractional wore on, however, Croatia gradually took the sting retired of the contest. Through disciplined defending and diligent possession, Zlatko Dalic's broadside slowed the tempo and took the goalless scoreline into the break. It had been an encouraging show from Portugal, but not capable to interruption the deadlock.

The 2nd fractional took connected a antithetic complexion. Portugal continued to predominate possession and propulsion forward, but Croatia began winning their duels and carrying much of a threat. From 1 of those forays forward, they punished the Portuguese.

Matanovic roseate alongside Ruben Dias to conscionable a Stanisic cross, but the shot evaded some of them and fell to Perisic connected the acold side. The PSV guardant had clip to control, set his assemblage and decorativeness past Diogo Costa.

Portugal's effect did not instrumentality long. VAR detected a propulsion by Vlasic connected Renato Veiga wrong the box, and the referee pointed to the spot. Ronaldo stepped up and struck the punishment consecutive down the mediate to gully the sides level.

From that point, the lucifer opened up completely. In stoppage time, Portugal recovered the breakthrough. Leao delivered a pinpoint transverse and Ramos roseate betwixt 2 defenders to caput location and nonstop his state into the past 16.

Portugal vs. Croatia: Martinez gets it close erstwhile it mattered most

Martinez arrived astatine the knockout signifier nether pressure. Since the commencement of the World Cup, sections of the Portuguese media and supporters had questioned some his selections and the team's corporate performance.

On aggregate occasions, Portugal had struggled to accelerate their passing, appeared predictable successful their build-up and lacked cutting borderline against organised defences.

Against Croatia, however, the manager produced 1 of his finest displays since taking charge.

His archetypal close telephone came earlier kick-off. Martinez opted to commencement Leao up of Joao Felix, a determination that gave Portugal greater extent successful attack. Always assertive successful one-on-one situations, the AC Milan guardant was 1 of the astir progressive players connected the transportation and capped an awesome show by providing the assistance for Ramos's winner.

But it was the substitution of Ronaldo that defined the evening successful Toronto.

Just minutes aft the fig 7 had converted the punishment that brought Portugal level, Martinez summoned Ramos from the bench. Removing the top subordinate successful Portuguese shot past during a World Cup knockout match, with the people level, required genuine conviction, peculiarly due to the fact that Ronaldo had conscionable scored.

The representation of Ronaldo leaving the transportation with a disgruntled look was wholly predictable. What followed was thing but.

Ramos needed lone a substance of minutes to warrant the change. He latched onto Leao's cross, recovered himself unmarked successful the container and secured the Portuguese victory. On an evening of hard decisions, Martinez saw 2 of his idiosyncratic gambles, Leao and Ramos, straight progressive successful the extremity that kept Portugal live successful the World Cup.

An Iberian derby awaits successful the past 16

The effect sets up 1 of the astir compelling fixtures imaginable astatine this World Cup. In the past 16, Portugal volition look Spain, who earlier defeated Austria 3-0. The lucifer is besides a repetition of the astir caller Nations League final, which Portugal won connected penalties.

Spain get successful beardown form, with a much accordant corporate show and a coagulated run down them. Portugal, by contrast, proceed to fluctuate betwixt bully and mediocre moments, but they gained a important constituent against Croatia: belief.

Whether the boldness that defined the last-32 triumph volition beryllium capable to flooded 1 of the strongest sides successful the tourney is simply a question lone the Iberian derby tin answer.