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Croatia’s Luka Modric celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal on a penalty kick during an international friendly soccer match between Portugal and Croatia at the National Stadium in Oeiras, outside Lisbon, Saturday, June 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Pedro Rocha)
Luka Modric scored a penalty to help Croatia beat Portugal 21 in a friendly on Saturday as they prepare for the European Championship.
BARCELONA, Spain: Luka Modric scored a penalty to help Croatia beat Portugal 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday as they prepare for the European Championship.
It was Croatia’s last game before it opens the tournament against three-time winner Spain on June 15. They are in a tough Group B along with Italy and Albania.
Portugal has one more friendly — against Ireland on Tuesday — before it starts the competition against Georgia on June 18. Portugal is the favorite in Group F that also includes Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Cristiano Ronaldo never left Portugal’s bench, with coach Roberto Martínez tapping Gonçalo Ramos to spear his attack.
Ronaldo joined Portugal on Friday after finishing his club campaign with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. The 39-year-old is set to make a record sixth appearance at the European Championship. Men’s soccer all-time leading scorer with 128 goals, Ronaldo helped Portugal win the European title in 2016.
Modric beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa to open the scoring in the eighth minute at Portugal’s National Stadium near Lisbon. The 38-year-old Real Madrid midfielder was sent to the penalty spot after Vitinha fouled Mateo Kovacic in the area.
Halftime substitutes Diogo Jota and Nelson Semedo linked up to equalize for the hosts in the 48th, with Semedo assisting the Liverpool forward to tap in.
Ante Budimir restored Croatia’s advantage in the 56th after the Osasuna striker headed in a rebound of a strike by Mario Pašalić that Costa had done well to push onto the crossbar.
Costa twice denied Nikola Vlašić to save Portugal from a heavier defeat.
Modric was substituted in the 54th. His contract with Madrid is set to expire at the end of the month following a season when he lost his starting role in Carlo Ancelotti’s side. But the former Ballon d’Or winner seemed to indicate he wants to continue playing for the Spanish club when he told its fans in the celebrations of Champions League title No. 15 that he would see them “next season.”
Euro 2024 kicks off on Friday when host Germany plays Scotland.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)
