Portugal vs. Croatia Euro 2016 Preview, Predictions, Live Stream As Ronaldo Looks for Round of 16 Win
Croatia and Portugal face off in the round of 16 of this year's European Championship.
The Portuguese have disappointed to a certain extent in this tournament, failing to win a single one of their games but managing to advance on the strength of three draws in a fairly "easy" group. The team has dominated the opposition when it comes to creating chances; of the 24 teams that played in the group phase, no team created more shot attempts than Portugal.
But the finishing had not been there for the opening two games against Iceland and Austria; the main culprit was Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid superstar and three-time Ballon d'Or winner was missing major chances left and right through two games, most notably a 79th minute penalty against Austria. But on Wednesday, with the spotlight on him, he delivered two goals and one assist to lead Portugal to a 3-3 draw against Hungary and clinch a spot in the knockout rounds.
Their first game will be a challenging tilt with a Croatia side that won Group D thanks to a win over Spain on Tuesday. Ivan Perisic has been one of the best players in the tournament and Croatia is likely to have Luka Modric back for the knockout game.
Player to watch
While Lionel Messi makes his name in the United States, Ronaldo will be looking to build on his own international legacy, which has been spotty at best. He is capable of carrying his side, as he showed against Hungary and will be looking for another monumental performance.
History Says...
Portugal has never lost against Croatia, winning three games in 1996, 2005 and a friendly in 2013. Ronaldo scored the winner in the recent 1-0 win in 2013.
Prediction
Ronaldo does it again in a 2-1 win for Portugal.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game will be played on Saturday June 25 at 3 p.m. EDT. It can be viewed via ESPN or online via WatchESPN.
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