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Nations League champion Portugal played down Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury absence when they defeated Croatia 4-1 in their first match of the competition on Saturday.
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European champion Portugal, in impressive form on their return to action after a 10-month hiatus, hit the wood three times before Joao Cancelo put them ahead four minutes before the break in the Group Three match of League A.
Diogo Jota and Joao Félix scored their first international goals in the second half before Bruno Petkovic retired one and Andre Silva added the fourth.
Ronaldo, who has 99 international goals, was ruled out with a toe infection, while Croatia lacked key midfielders Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic after their federation agreed not to pick them before the start of the European club season. .
It was the first time that Ronaldo had missed a Portugal match since November 2018.
Nikola Vlasic was about to give Croatia a second-minute lead when Anthony Lopes hit the post, but then it was all of Portugal.
Joao Félix hit the crossbar, Diogo Jota headed off the post and Raphael Guerreiro’s long-range shot hit the post, bounced off the back of goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and shot out as Croatia’s goal lived a lovely life.
But their luck ran out when Cancelo scored before the break with a left-footed shot that curls from the edge of the area.
As Portugal continued to dominate after the break, Guerreiro passed the ball over the Croatian defense to Jota, who controlled it with his chest and scored his shot almost on time.
Joao Félix, 20, also scored in the 71st minute with a powerful shot that Livakovic put a hand in but couldn’t stop.
Although Petkovic made a setback in injury time, Portugal substitute Silva slipped on a fourth Pepe header on the last shot of the match.
World champion France beat Sweden 1-0 in Stockholm in the other group match.
