La que baja es Suecia
tras caer derrotada ante Francia por 4-2
hizo un favor. Ante
Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Félix y compañía, que ya no se jugaban nada más que la
honra, Modric y los suyos tenían por hacer todavía la tarea de asegurar la
permanencia en la Liga A de la Nations League. Para ello les bastaba con lograr
lo mismo que lograse Suecia ante Francia en el Stade de France, y tanto unos
como otros perdieron sus partidos. 4-2 acabó lo de París y 2-3 lo de Split, en
un encuentro marcado por la expulsión del local Rog con media hora por jugarse
donde firmó un doblete Kovacic, marcó Joao Félix y se quedó con las ganas
Cristiano Ronaldo.
Planteó Zlatko Dalic el
partido sin referencia al uso en ataque. Se quedaron en el banquillo tanto
Budimir como Bruno Petkovic y fueron Vlasic, Pasalic y Perisic los mayores
argumentos ofensivos de una Croacia dirigida en la medular por Modric y el
mencionado Kovacic. Y ya fuese por esta circunstancia o por mayor calidad
individual de sus efectivos, lo cierto es que Portugal se hizo dueño del duelo
desde el inicio.
El tanteo del primer
acto, sin embargo, favoreció a Croacia, que se adelantó en el marcador por
mediación de Kovacic en el 29’. Pero tras la reanudación Portugal se puso las
pilas (estando ya en el campo un Trincao que entró tras el descanso) y tras ver
Marko Rog la segunda amarilla por una falta por detrás a Cristiano, en el
rechazo del lanzamiento de la misma Rúben Dias hizo el empate para los lusos
(52’).
Joao Félix, asistido por
un Diogo Jota que se ayudó de la mano (y dio gracias a que en esta Nations
League no haya VAR), hizo el 1-2 en el 60’, y aunque Kovacic volvió a tirar de
gallardía para empatar en el 65’, ya en el 90’ de nuevo Rúben Dias marcó para
que venciese Portugal.
La derrota fue anecdótica
en términos clasificatorios para una Croacia que se queda en la Liga A de la
UEFA Nations League pero desde hace un tiempo viene dando muestras de que está
ya muy lejos de la selección que fue subcampeona mundial en Rusia 2018.
Portugal, por su parte, no estará en la ‘Final Four’ de esta competición pero
sí promete luchar con todas las de la ley por hacerse con la Eurocopa el
próximo verano.
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