Ruben Dias was instrumental in helping Portugal maintain their top position in the group with a solid win, while his Manchester City teammate Josko Gvardiol played the full match as Croatia pulled off a thrilling 2-1 comeback against Scotland. Meanwhile, Manuel Akanji was on the pitch for all 90 minutes during Switzerland’s disappointing 2-0 Nations League defeat to Serbia.
In Portugal’s match, Bernardo Silva opened the scoring at the 26-minute mark, deftly finishing a header from Bruno Fernandes. Just 11 minutes later, Portugal ramped up the pressure, with Rafael Leão’s shot hitting the post and falling perfectly for Cristiano Ronaldo, who didn’t miss from close range.
The second half saw Portugal dominate possession, with Dias and the defense rarely called into action. Poland did manage to break through, with Piotr Zieliński scoring in the 78th minute, but Portugal restored their two-goal cushion just two minutes before full-time when Jan Bednarek accidentally netted an own goal.
For Croatia, Gvardiol operated as a left-sided center-back in a three-man defense. Although Croatia controlled possession early on, it was Scotland that struck first. Ryan Christie put Scotland ahead in the 33rd minute, but Croatia quickly equalized just three minutes later with a composed strike from Igor Matanović after being set up by Ivan Perišić.
With the score level at halftime, Croatia emerged determined in the second half, looking to continue their winning momentum. Their persistence paid off in the 70th minute when Andrej Kramarić capitalized on a rebound after Borna Sosa’s shot was saved, putting Croatia ahead.
Scotland had a chance to level the match late on, but Christie’s attempt soared over the bar. Gvardiol played a crucial role in managing the game’s closing moments, ensuring Scotland didn’t register a single shot on target in the second half.
In a dramatic finale, Scotland equalized through Che Adams, but VAR intervened, ruling the goal out for offside in the buildup. With this victory, Croatia sits second in their group with six points from three matches, trailing Portugal, who has nine points.
On a tougher note for Switzerland and Akanji, it was a challenging night in Serbia. Nico Elvedi’s own goal just before halftime gave Serbia an unexpected lead against the run of play. Although Switzerland had four shots on target in the second half and maintained possession, Serbia struck again in the 67th minute thanks to Aleksandar Mitrović’s surprise solo effort. Adding to Switzerland’s woes, Akanji’s teammate Breel Embolo missed a penalty five minutes later, sealing a frustrating 2-0 defeat for Switzerland.
