Toronto, July 2 -- Ahead of the FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash between Portugal and Croatia, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic sees the match as a "battle of midfielders", pointing out his opponents' tactical greatness in the midfield area.

The Portugal-Croatia clash at Toronto will be a clash between two modern-day football icons, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, both in their early 40s, having worn the colours of Spanish giants Real Madrid for several years. However, with age not by their side anymore, this match could be the international swansong for either of these two icons.

For Dalic, the match marks something more than just a Ronaldo-Modric battle; rather, it is a battle of sides with two great midfield players.

"I believe this is...