Ronaldo hits another milestone as Portugal edge Croatia in Lisbon

Cristiano Ronaldo (39) achieved the remarkable milestone of his 900th career goal as Portugal commenced their 2024/25 UEFA Nations League journey with a narrow 2-1 victory over Croatia at the Estádio da Luz, thereby preserving their flawless competitive record against the Croatians with five consecutive wins.

Prior to the match, the recently retired Portuguese icon and first Nations League champion, Pepe, was honored with a commemorative shirt in recognition of his 141 appearances for the national team.

One of the eight international goals scored by the former defender was against Croatia, and just seven minutes into the match, he was celebrating from the sidelines as full-back Diogo Dalot netted the opening goal.

As is often the case, Bruno Fernandes played a pivotal role, skillfully delivering a pass to Dalot, who received it seamlessly and coolly slotted the ball through the legs of Dominik Livakovic from close range.

Having already posed a threat to extend his team's lead earlier, Ronaldo soon marked his milestone by volleying in Nuno Mendes’ precise cross.

Croatia had their chances as well, with Diogo Costa making a crucial save to deny Andrej Kramaric earlier in the half. Kramaric was again involved, sending a cross towards Borna Sosa, who kept the play alive, leading to an unfortunate own goal by Dalot.

The first half was nearly capped off with a fourth goal, but Pedro Neto's effort struck the crossbar after a vigorous run.

Despite sustained pressure, Portugal could not restore their two-goal advantage before the hour mark, as Livakovic made a vital reflex save to thwart Ronaldo's attempt for a second goal.

The home side continued to press the Croatian defense, yet the match remained finely poised as it approached its conclusion. The Nations League 2022/23 runners-up managed to contain the Selecao for the most part, although they failed to pose a significant threat to Costa at the opposite end. As the final whistle approached, a third goal for Portugal seemed increasingly probable.

Nevertheless, that objective did not come to fruition as Roberto Martinez had to accept a narrow victory, with his team commencing their campaign in Nations League League A Group 1 on a positive note, currently tied on three points with Poland, who secured a win against Scotland in their initial match.

After experiencing a winless run at UEFA Euro 2024 (D2, L1) and exiting at the group stage, Croatian supporters will be eager to see their team return to form in the upcoming match against Michal Probierz’s Poland on Sunday.