Croatia 1-1 Portugal: 5 talking points as Selecao held to draw in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence
Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence away at Croatia in the UEFA Nations League (November 18). Despite not being at their best, the Selecao secured a point and will be confident of the tools at their disposal moving forward with the legendary forward's career in its twilight.
The goals for both nations came from players plying their trade in the Premier League. Joao Felix (33') and Josko Gvardiol (65') found the back of the net to see both teams make it to the next stage of the tournament. As always, the game raised a few questions and talking points; here are five of them:
#5 Vitinha continues to impress for Portugal
While Cristiano Ronaldo's absence will likely be the main talking point, Paris Saint-Germain's Vitinha had another solid performance for Portugal. The midfielder has made three assists in his last two games for his country and is in fine form.
In a game in which he completed 97% of his passes and created three chances, the 24-year-old remains a player to watch in the future.
#4 No Cristiano Ronaldo, no problem
Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portugal camp for the last UEFA Nations League group stage game. The team might have lost their best player in his absence, but they created enough chances to encourage Roberto Martinez about the future.
Rafael Leao and Joao Felix led the front line, and while the latter scored the opening goal, the pair had seven shots, four of which tested Dominik Livakovic. The Selecao will be wise to work on strengthening similar setups in the future, with Ronaldo's retirement fast approaching.
#3 Portugal's impressive squad depth
Roberto Martinez made wholesale changes to his team heading into this game with Croatia. Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Costa, and Pedro Neto were excluded from the team. However, The Selecao still performed admirably against solid opposition.
Jose Sa, Tomas Araujo, Nelson Semedo, and Otavio gave good accounts of themselves, while Tiago Djalo came on for an impressive stint. The Iberian nation will be delighted with the wealth of talent at their disposal and should be confident of success in the years to come.
#2 Josko Gvardiol is a star
If Croatia had not played Portugal, who carried the star power of Cristiano Ronaldo even in his absence, Josko Gvardiol's performance would have been one of the talking points of the international break. The Manchester City star was brilliant against the Selecao and capped his performance with a goal.
The defender completed 53 out of 54 passes and won two out of five duels in the game to highlight his all-round quality. The 22-year-old looks set to be one to watch for many years.
#1 Josip Sutalo, another impressive Ajax defender
In a game where both sides played three central defenders, Croatia arguably had two of the best centre-backs out of the six on the pitch. Besides Gvardiol, Ajax defender Josip Sutalo was a joy to behold in his country's defense.
The 24-year-old nearly stole the show with his late effort and was solid defensively throughout the game. He completed 44 out of 46 passes, won seven out of nine duels, and made three tackles. His performance would have surely drawn the attention of clubs across Europe.