INDOSPORT.COM - Pertandingan uji coba internasional seru akan tersaji pada Jumat (06/09/18) pukul 01.45 WIB dini hari nanti, antara Portugal vs Kroasia di Stadion Estadio Do Algarve.
Saat meladeni perlawanan Kroasia, secara mengejutkan pelatih Portugal, Fernando Santos tidak memanggil sang mega bintang dan andalannya, Cristiano Ronaldo . Tidak dipanggilnya nominasi 3 pemain terbaik FIFA 2018 ini dikarenakan masalah yang terkait adaptasi Ronaldo di Juventus.
“Setelah berbicara dengan si pemain, sejak dia pindah ke Juventus dengan semua proses adaptasi yang diperlukan, kami memahami bahwa sebaiknya dia tidak hadir untuk laga-laga ini," kata Santos seperti dikutip dari The Sun .
Dengan absennya Ronaldo, nampaknya Santos akan mengandalkan pemain-pemain muda mereka seperti Bernardo Silva, Andre Silva dan Goncalo Guedes di lini depan. Selain mereka terdapat pula dua nama yang minim kesempatan di Timnas Portugal, Bruma dan Rony Lopes yang patut dicoba oleh Santos.
Sementara dari kubu Kroasia yang berstatus sebagai runner-up Piala Dunia, untuk pertama kalinya mereka akan melakoni laga usai ditinggal 3 pemain pilarnya, Vedran Corluka, Danijel Subasic, dan Mario Mandzukic yang memilih pensiun.
Meski begitu, Zlatko Dalic selaku pelatih di laga ini masih bisa menggunakan jasa dari pemain terbaik Piala Dunia 2018, Luka Modric. Selain Modric, Dalic juga masih memanggil pemain-pemain andalannya seperti Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic, dan masih banyak lagi.
Dengan komposisi pemain kedua tim seperti ini, jelas pertandingannya patut dinantikan. Namun, diprediksi laga ini akan berjalan seru dan hasil imbang dirasa cukup adil. Terlebih kedua tim tentu akan focus di laga perdana UEFA Nations League di pertandingan selanjutnya.
Nama Andre Silva mungkin sedikit meragukan untuk bisa menjadi andalan Portugal terlebih di musim lalu dirinya tidak terdengar baik di klub maupun timnas. Namun nampaknya di musim ini sudah berubah menjadi penyerang yang tajam.
Sejak pindah ke Sevilla dari AC Milan, di musim ini Silva telah tampil di enam pertandingan Los Rojiblancos di semua kompetisi. Dari keenam penampilannya itu, ia sukses mencatatkan tiga gol dan satu asis yang menjadikannya salah satu andalan tim.
Catatan Silva di Portugal juga sebenarnya tak buruk, ia sudah mengemas 26 penampilan bersama Seleccao das Quinas dan mencetak 12 gol. Kini dengan absennya Ronaldo, bisa menjadi kesempatan bagus untuk Silva membuktikan diri.
© INDOSPORT Luka Modric merayakan keberhasilan Kroasia yang lolos ke 8 besar Piala Dunia 2018.
Luka Modric saat ini sedang melambung sangat tinggi. Kontribusinya dalam setiap tim yang ia perkuat benar-benar tak perlu diragukan lagi.
Ia selalu menjadi pemain kunci dan pusat tim di setiap pertandingan. Hal itu terbukti dengan 4 trofi Liga Champions Eropa dan 1 runner-up Piala Dunia 2018.
Terlebih tahun ini sepertinya memang akan menjadi puncak karirnya. Menjadi pemain terbaik Piala Dunia 2018 dan baru-baru ini termasuk dalam tiga pemain terbaik FIFA 2018 bersama Cristiano Ronaldo dan Mohamed Salah.
Sehingga rasanya tidak berlebihan jika di pertandingan nanti Modric masih menjadi andalan Kroasia. Bahkan mungkin dalam beberapa waktu kedepan.
Portugal : Rui Patricio; Cedric, Pepe, Mario Rui, Ruben Dias; Pizzi, Ruben Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Renato Sanches; Bernardo Silva, Andre Silva.
Kroasia : Lovre Kalinic; Sime Vrsaljko, Domagoj Vida, Tin Jedvaj, Josip Pivaric; Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric; Mario Pasalic, Milan Badelj, Marko Livaja; Ivan Santini.
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Portugal welcome 2018 FIFA World Cup finalists Croatia to the Estadio Algarve on Thursday for an international friendly.
The game will be a useful warm-up for both sides ahead of their opening matches of the inaugural UEFA Nations League.
Portugal go on to face Italy in Lisbon on Monday, September 10. Croatia are in action a day later as they take on Spain in Elche, Alicante.
Date: Thursday, September 6
Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST), 2:45 p.m. (ET)
Odds: Portugal win 11-8, Croatia win 11-5, Draw 21-10
Live Stream/TV Info: ESPN+ (U.S.)
Odds via Oddschecker
Portugal will have to make do without captain and inspiration Cristiano Ronaldo for their two games during the international break, as he is not part of the squad.
Coach Fernando Santos has explained why he has not selected the Juventus star, per BBC Sport.
He said: "After talking to the player, and after he moved to Juventus with all the processes of adaptation that entails, we understand it was best for him to not be present for these games."
Joao Moutinho, Ricardo Quaresma and Adrien Silva are also omitted. But Santos has recalled Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo and Renato Sanches, who all missed the World Cup.
Freelance writer Jan Fredrik Hagen shared his view on the squad:
There's still plenty of experience throughout the team. Pepe, William Carvalho and Bernardo Silva are quality players who know all about the demands of international football.
Portugal will face a tough test against a Croatia side that came agonisingly close to glory in Russia over the summer.
Dalic has made changes to his squad, and there's no room for Mario Mandzukic, Vedran Corluka, Danijel Subasic or Nikola Kalinic:
Croatia will once again look to Luka Modric for inspiration. The midfielder has enjoyed a superb 2018 and has been named UEFA Men's Player of the Year ahead of Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.
This looks a closely matched game between two quality sides. Ronaldo's absence is a big blow to Portugal, and they will need to prove they can cope without their star man.
Portugal vs Croatia: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview
Portugal will welcome the World Cup runners-up in an international friendly on Thursday, though star striker Ronaldo will be absent
will welcome World Cup runners-up on Thursday at the Estadio Algarve in a friendly, gearing up for the opening matches of the inaugural UEFA Nations League.
superstar has been omitted from the squad as he has been allowed to stay behind in Turin during this international break, while Croatia will be looking to the inspiration of captain Luka Modric for inspiration.
The home side will be looking to cope with the absence of their star man, with Croatia expected to push on from their memorable campaign in this summer.
Game Portugal v Croatia Date Thursday, September 6 Time 7:45pm BST / 2:45pm EST
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the (US), the game will be shown on ESPN+.
US TV channel Online stream ESPN+ ESPN+ app
UK TV channel Online stream N/A N/A
Squads & Team News
Position Portugal players Goalkeepers Beto, Ramos, Patricio Defenders Soares, Pepe, Cancelo, Neto, Mendes, Rui, Guerreiro, Dias Midfielders B. Fernandes, G. Fernandes, Pizzi, Sanches, Neves, Oliveira, Carvalho, B. Silva Forwards A. Silva, Bruma, Martins, Guedes, Lopes
Ronaldo has been rested for the fixture, while the likes of Ruben Neves, Bruma, Joao Cancelo, Luis Neto and Renato Sanches have all recieved call-ups after missing the World Cup finals in Russia.
Potential Portugal XI: Patricio; Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Rui; B. Silva, Carvalho, Neves, Bruma; Guedes, A. Silva.
Position Croatia players Goalkeepers Kalinic, Livakovic, Letica Defenders Vida, Vrsaljko, Pivaric, Jedvaj, Mitrovic, Barisic, Milic Midfielders Modric, Rakitic, Badelj, Kovacic, Rog, Pasalic, Bradaric Forwards Perisic, Kramaric, Rebic, Pjaca, Santini, Livaja
There is no room for Danijel Subasic or Nikola Kalinic in the squad to face Portugal, though are equipped with the star likes of Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic and Modric.
Defender Dejan Lovren will be unavailable to feature in the friendly as he is still sidelined with a long-term injury.
Potential Croatia XI: Kalinic; Vrsaljko, Mitrovic, Vida, Barisic; Pasalic, Brozovic, Rakitic; Pjaca, Santini, Perisic.
Betting & Match Odds
Portugal are priced at odds of winning 13/8 according to bet 365, while a draw is available at 11/5. A win for the World Cup runners-up is up for 2/1.
Click here to see all of bet 365's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Match Preview
Croatia's fairy-tale run this summer ended abruptly in the final when they lost to champions , but their extraordinary run in Russia that involved beating the likes of , , and won't be so easily forgotten.
Modric, who was at the core of Croatia's team and was also named UEFA Men's Player of the Year ahead of Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah, is expected to once again lead his team in a tough fixture against Portugal – though will be unlikely to start the friendly, with one eye set on the UEFA Nations League clash with in less than a week.
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic will be unable to draft in World Cup heroes Danijel Subasic and Mario Mandzukic after the duo announced retirement from international football, along with defender Vedran Corluka. Striker Nikola Kalinic remains out of favour with the national side, after being cut from the squad midway through the World Cup.
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The home side endured an ultimately disappointing World Cup despite the opening 3-3 draw with rivals Spain that involved a Ronaldo hat-trick, crashing out at the last-16 stage at the hands of .
Ronaldo's omission from the Portugal team will be the main talking point of the fixtur, and will miss out on the opportunity to face former team-mate and fellow national team captain Modric.
In his absence, youthful duo Andre Silva and Goncalo Guedes are likely to get the nod to start, ahead of a UEFA Nations League opener against .
Portugal and Croatia play each other in an international friendly on Thursday, Sept. 6 at Estadio Algarve.
The fixture will mark the first time the two nations play each other since meeting in the 2016 UEFA European Championship. Portugal won the match, 1-0, on Ricardo Quaresma's 117th-minute strike in extra time, to advance to the competition's quarterfinal. Portugal eventually went on to capture the title.
The contest will also mark the first time Croatia will play since reaching the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, where its lost to France, 4-2.
Portugal's all-time leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo won't take part in the match–or Portugal's UEFA Nations League opener vs. Italy–but Luka Modric, the reigning UEFA Player of the Year and World Cup Golden Ball winner, will suit up for Croatia.
Here's how you can watch the match:
Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
TV: None in the USA
Live stream: You can watch the match via ESPN+ and the WatchESPN app.
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