Portugal 2 - 1 Croatia

Ronaldo (PEN 68'), (Ramos 90'+4) | Perisic (53')

What a game. After Portugal thought they’d found a winner in stoppage time, Croatia were denied an equaliser after a goal was disallowed in controversial circumstances, dumping them out of the competition and setting up a last-16 tie between Spain and Portugal. 

Portugal had thought they’d won it in the 4th minute of stoppage time, after Goncalo Ramos scored a fantastic header to give Portugal the lead. 

But in the final moments of stoppage time, Croatia whipped a ball into the box.

It seemed to bypass everyone except a Portugal player, who headed it into his own net. Goal Croatia, or so they thought, but VAR intervened - suggesting that there had been a critical touch from Matanovic as the ball passed through the box in the air.

That seemed to rely on ball sensor data. On the monitor, from every angle, it wasn’t clear if there had been any kind of touch. There didn’t appear to be any change to the ball spin or direction, but ball sensor data seemed to show an apparent touch from Matanovic. 

However, the second touch, the header that scored the own goal, did not appear on the same raw sensor data readout, which it looks like it should have done on the graph’s timescale. 

Whatever the debate, the goal did not stand, and Croatia crashed out of the tournament. 

Anyway, this was a truly entertaining game, perhaps the best of the tournament, but it didn’t really get off to a flyer. Portugal pressed and probed and searched for a way through Croatia, and Croatia came back and did similar, but there didn’t seem to be a decisive edge either way. 

In the second half, though, it exploded into life. Ivan Perisic scored in the 53rd minute to put Croatia ahead, getting on the end of a cross to take a couple of deft touches and slot past the keeper. 

They thought it was two minutes later, but Croatia had it chalked off as Matanovic was deemed to be offside. Down at the other end Leao smashed a beautiful shot off the crossbar that looked for all intents and purposes like it was heading in. 

Then three minutes later Ronaldo had the ball in the back of the net, only for it to also be ruled offside. 

Then, in the 64th minute, Veiga was pulled down in the box by Vlasic. Penalty Portugal. Are you keeping up so far? We were struggling to. 

Ronaldo stepped up to slot home his first ever World Cup knockout goal.

Kovacic had two great strikes in the 77th minute, first saved and then the follow up a delightful volley that ended up sailing just over the bar. 

Then ANOTHER offside goal, this time Croatia penalised as Sucic chased a ball from Kovacic and slotted home. Ruled out. 

Minutes later, Ronaldo was withdrawn as Ramos was sent on. Could he make the difference? The short answer is yes. 

With the game almost 5 minutes into injury time, Leao, imperious on the left, sent in another great cross, this one pinpointed right at the head of Ramos. He powered a header home to make it 2-1 Portugal. An inspired substitution. 

Then came the Croatian equaliser that never was. 

With the ball sent in, it crashed off the head of a Portuguese defender and ended up in the back of the net, with a Croatian player in an offside position only if there had been a touch on the way through.

But despite the on-pitch evidence looking like there hadn’t been a touch from another Croatia player, VAR intervened and showed the snicko-meter evidence from the ball sensor that apparently showed a touch. Goal ruled out, Croatia dumped out of the tournament. 

That wasn’t a football match, it was a hockey match. 

Portugal will face Spain in the last 16.