This Round of 32 match will pit two European giants, and although Portugal is considered the favorite, their group stage has left some questions. Despite its depth, Roberto Martinez's team is inconsistent: after a 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan, they drew twice – against the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia. In these games, Portugal was clearly bogged down in positional attacks, but also conceded goals from their opponents' counterattacks. Croatia, as always, hasn't looked impressive in the group stage, but they'll be entering tournament mode in the knockout stages. The experience of Modrić, Kovačić, and company, their ability to control the tempo and create chances from set pieces, is the perfect weapon against Portugal's inconsistent defense, which has conceded four goals in three matches.
Both teams have obvious defensive issues, but their attacking potential is above average. Portugal scored in every group stage match (a total of seven goals), while Croatia scored in two of their three, with their encounters often high-scoring (3-3 against Algeria, 2-0 against Argentina). Given this setup, goals seem more than likely: Portugal will press with individual skill, but leave space for Croatia to quickly attack. Head-to-head statistics also favor over-goals: four of the last five matches have seen over 2.5 goals scored.
A clean sheet is unlikely: both teams are capable of attacking, but lack defensive integrity. The match will likely be open and high-scoring, with goals traded in each half. The odds for this outcome offer good value, given that both Portugal and Croatia are more aggressive in the playoffs than they were in the group stage, and betting on goals looks more reliable than predicting the winner in this close encounter.
