Archie Wilson shares his picks and plays for the Round of 32 clash between Portugal and Croatia.
Zlatko Dalić has a superb World Cup record with Croatia, leading them to third place in 2022 after finishing runners-up in Russia in 2018. But while finishing second in the group is no disaster, especially behind England.
It does feel, though, that this might be the end of the road for their golden generation.
Luka Modrić is now 40 and, as brilliant as he has been, there have been signs that Father Time is finally getting a foot in. Giving away a penalty in the opener hardly helped the eye test. Ivan Perišić has still been asked to cover plenty of ground down the left, but at 37, you wonder how much fuel is left in the tank. Mateo Kovačić is 32 and coming off an injury-hit season, while Joško Gvardiol has also had fitness issues.
There were high hopes around Portugal for this World Cup, I wouldn’t say they have met them yet, but there is still time. There looks to be just enough juice in Portugal’s price. They should have more of the ball, create more of the chances, and if Croatia’s legs start to go late, that could be where the tie is won.
Tips
Best Bet: Portugal to Win (Normal Time) & Both Teams to Score @ $3.20
Best Goalscorer: Bruno Fernandes ATS @ $3.60
Same Game Multi: Portugal to Qualify, Over 8.5 Total Corners & Bruno Fernandes to Score or Assist @ $3.63
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