SOCCER: Croatia coach looks beyond Ronaldo showdown to midfield battle with Portugal

TORONTO – Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic expects Thursday's FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match against Portugal to be decided in midfield rather than by the star power of Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Although the matchup has been billed as a showdown between two of football's biggest names, Dalic believes the contest will hinge on which team controls the center of the pitch.

"I believe this is going to be a battle of midfielders. Portugal have excellent players in the midfield. They are tactically very good. In this match each error will be punished," Dalic told reporters on Wednesday in Toronto.

Croatia advanced to the knockout stage after recovering from an opening defeat to England. The team responded with a 1-0 victory over Panama before defeating Ghana 2-1 to secure a place in the Round of 32.

Portugal, meanwhile, reached the knockout stage with one win and two draws in the group phase. Despite the mixed results, Dalic said Portugal remain a dangerous opponent with quality throughout the squad.

Croatia's midfield is led by 40-year-old captain Luka Modric alongside Martin Baturina, who scored against England, and Petar Sucic, who found the net against Ghana.

Portugal are expected to rely on Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Bruno Fernandes in midfield, while much of the attention continues to center on veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

"It is a team that wants to possess the ball at all times," Dalic said. "This team has few weaknesses and can at all times cause risk and danger."

The match will be the final World Cup game played in Toronto and could mark the last World Cup appearance for either Modric or Ronaldo.

Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic praised both players, saying they have each made remarkable contributions to the sport.

"We have two major players who have done great work. I am convinced Luka will continue his path onwards. I can only speak positively about both of them," Livakovic said. -Reporting by Divya Rajagopal in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters