Goncalo Ramos scored a 94th-minute winner to fire Portugal to the last-16 of the World Cup, edging Croatia after a dramatic second half. The match was goalless after tentative opening exchanges produced minimal threat, but Croatia raced out of the gates in the second, taking the fight to their neighbours. Ivan Perisic fired home with a clinical finish to open the scoring, before Cristiano Ronaldo, who had previously seen a goal ruled out for offside, equalised from the penalty spot after Nikola Vlasic rugby-tackled Renato Veiga.
After Petar Sucic then had a goal ruled out for an offside of his own, Ramos gave the Selecao a late lead, but that was not the end of the story. Josko Gvardiol scored another equaliser in the twelfth minute of the ten that had been added to send his team-mates into rapture, but it was denied for a marginal offside, restoring Portugal’s lead with mere minutes left to play.
Portugal will now face Spain in the round of 16, with that match due to take place in Dallas on July 6. Catch up with the action as it happened below with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog, complete with expert insight and analysis.
Portugal vs Croatia latest news
GOAL! Ramos gives Selecao injury-time advantage GOAL! Ronaldo buries crucial penalty NO GOAL! Ronaldo equaliser chalked off GOAL! Perisic breaks the deadlockLive updates
FULL-TIME: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Ronaldo and Co progress by the skin of their teeth. How do Croatia make top or tail of that? What a game of football...
And still we play on...
NO GOAL! Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Oh dear, oh dear. The most cruel VAR decision of all time? Gvardiol’s late equaliser is ruled out and Petar Sucic immediately bursts out in tears. That is galling.
VAR will check it... there seems to be a potential offside, and the referee has been sent to the monitor.
GOAL! Portugal 2-2 Croatia | Gvardiol '90+13
IT IS UNBELIEVABLE! CROATIA EQUALISE IN THE 13TH MINUTE OF INJURY TIME!
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
100+12mins: Costa catches Perisic’s cross, and he falls on the ball. That must just about do it.
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
90+12mins: Conceicao flashes a shot wide of the left upright.
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
The ten minutes have been played...
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
90+9mins: It comes to nothing. Goal kick for Portugal.
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
90+9mins: Corner for Croatia...
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