Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez praised his side’s resilience after their 2-1 victory over Croatia secured qualification for the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, www.aclsports.com reports.
Portugal overcame a stern challenge from Croatia, with Martínez highlighting his side’s tactical discipline and character to come through a difficult contest.
“In the first half, we were very good tactically and technically. We controlled the game well, limited Croatia’s strengths in possession, and reacted well to turnovers with an intensity we hadn’t shown in our opening match,” Martínez said.
“The second half was completely different,” he added. “The game became more open, Croatia enjoyed more possession, and an unfortunate moment from a throw-in situation led to us conceding. That kind of moment can easily shift the momentum.
“But this is where our team’s values came through. I’m very satisfied with the response from the players. We showed heart, but also the ability to adapt, use different profiles, and manage what the game demanded.”
Martínez admitted Portugal were forced to adjust as Croatia grew into the game after the break.
“We don’t have very defined attacking patterns,” he said. “I think today was a good day to play more through the middle, but we didn’t manage to do that. Instead, it was the right moment to use more width, take advantage of the depth of Rafael Leão, and get into the penalty area earlier.”
He added that his substitutions were dictated by the flow of the match rather than pre-planned tactical changes.
“I don’t think today was anything new, but we made four substitutions because the flow of the game called for it. The first half was very, very good, so there was no need to make major adjustments.”
The Portuguese manager also reflected on the emotional significance of the victory, referencing former defender Ricardo Carvalho and the late Diogo Jota.
“There was also the role of a father figure, Ricardo Carvalho, and the fact that Croatia was the last team against whom Diogo Jota scored for Portugal, two goals that I witnessed,” Martínez said. “There are many signs, but I think we deserved the victory.”
Martínez also addressed key VAR decisions, insisting technology correctly ruled Croatia’s goal out for offside.
“I have incredible admiration for Croatia. It’s a country I’ve visited many times, and I really respect the sporting culture of the Croatian people,” he said.
“But I need to be very clear about this. The ball now has a chip inside it, and everything is very clear. That’s why VAR intervened. The touches from Igor Matanović and Renato Veiga were detected by the sensor in the ball.
“The technology shows exactly when the ball was touched, and at that moment, Mario Pašalić was offside.”
Martínez added that the use of technology removed doubt from the decision.
“There is no subjective opinion, it was offside.”
He also backed the penalty awarded to Portugal while praising Croatia and head coach Zlatko Dalić.
“It’s a shame that one of the two teams had to lose, but there was no bad decision or unlucky call. The key moments were clear, technology helped, and the decisions were correct.”
Portugal will now face Spain in the Round of 16.
