Portugal defeats Croatia and remains isolated in qualifying for the under-21 Euro2025

At the São Luís Stadium, the ‘quinas’ team, which was already leading 4-1 at half-time, celebrated the triumph with two ‘doubles’, from Fábio Silva (three and 63 minutes, the second from a penalty) and Pedro Santos (11 and 22), and a goal from Paulo Bernardo (25), while Marin Ljubicic reduced, also on a penalty (15).

Portugal reinforced first place in Group G in the qualifying phase for the 2025 European Championship, with 18 points in seven games, followed by Greece, with 14 (one more game), Croatia, with 13 (one game less), Faroe Islands, with seven (minus one game), Belarus, with six (plus two games), and Andorra, with three (plus one game).

The Portuguese coach made three changes in relation to Thursday’s victory over the Faroe Islands (4-0), on the same stage, calling goalkeeper Samuel Soares, right-back Tiago Santos and midfielder Bernardo Folha to the starting line-up. and maintaining the ‘4-4-2’ with a diamond midfield.

The entry of the team led by Rui Jorge was full force and it only took three minutes for the resistance of the Croatian team, positioned in ‘3-4-3’, to break, opening the way to 25 minutes of great quality from the Portuguese players. .

Mateus Fernandes ‘popped’ over the defense to assist the isolated Pedro Santos, who hit the left post, with the ball remaining for Fábio Silva’s easy finish.

Pedro Santos made it 2-0, in the 11th minute, taking advantage of a huge mistake by central defender Grozdanic, who missed the late pass to the goalkeeper and ‘offered’ the ball to the Portuguese attacking midfielder.

Croatia still ‘dreamed’ of returning to the game, thanks to a penalty converted by Ljubicic, in the 15th minute, after Samuel Soares’ foul on Perkovic.

However, the Portuguese team maintained their ascendancy and did not allow the Croatians to make any more pretensions, practically ‘sealing’ the victory with two more goals in three minutes, before half an hour.

Pedro Santos scored twice in the 22nd minute, in a play started by a throw-in by Fábio Silva and after a simulation by Tiago Tomás, and Paulo Bernardo scored the Portuguese’s fourth goal, in the 25th, after a play by Fábio Silva.

The result at half-time was not more significant because goalkeeper Cavlina prevented the isolated Tiago Tomás from scoring, with two great saves, in the 24th and 45th minutes.

In the second half, the pace of the game decreased considerably, but there was still time for Fábio Silva to score his second goal in the match – and seventh in this qualifying phase –, taking a penalty, after he was the one who was fouled, in the 63rd minute. .

With Portugal controlling the advantage until the final whistle, Croatia only created danger in the 80th minute, with Zvonarek’s shot hitting the post.