Portugal national football team, Croatia national football team, UEFA Nations League, Cristiano Ronaldo, Denmark, Roberto Martínez from

Portugal and Croatia to Face Off in UEFA Nations League Semifinals

Tournament Format and Semifinal Matchups

The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the 55 member associations of UEFA. The tournament was established in 2018 to replace international friendly matches. The competition is divided into four leagues, with promotion and relegation between leagues based on team performance. The top-ranked team in each league qualifies for the Finals, which are played in a single-elimination format.

The 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals will be held in the Netherlands. The semifinals will be played on June 14 and 15, with the final to be played on June 18. Portugal will face Croatia in the first semifinal, while Spain will face Italy in the second semifinal.

Portugal's Road to the Semifinals

Portugal won their group in League A, Group 2, finishing ahead of Spain, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. They won four of their six matches, drawing one and losing one. Cristiano Ronaldo scored six goals in the group stage, which was the most by any player in the tournament.

Croatia's Road to the Semifinals

Croatia won their group in League A, Group 1, finishing ahead of Denmark, France, and Austria. They won four of their six matches, drawing one and losing one. Luka Modric scored three goals in the group stage, while Ivan Perisic scored two.

Head-to-Head Record

Portugal and Croatia have met 12 times in international matches, with Portugal winning six, Croatia winning three, and three matches ending in a draw. Their most recent meeting was in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which Portugal won 1-0.

Key Players

Portugal will be led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is one of the greatest players of all time. He is Portugal's all-time leading scorer with 118 goals in 196 appearances. Other key players for Portugal include Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and João Félix.

Croatia will be led by Luka Modric, who is one of the best midfielders in the world. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 2018. Other key players for Croatia include Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, and Marcelo Brozovic.

Prediction

Portugal and Croatia are two of the best teams in the world, so this should be a close match. Portugal has a slight edge in terms of experience and quality, but Croatia is a very dangerous team on their day. I predict that Portugal will win the match 2-1.