Croatia take on the visitors Czechia in qualification match for FIFA World Cup. The match will be played on Monday, June 9th at Opus Arena (Osijek).
Croatia needs to get the job done here. The Checkered Ones have always been highly respected, but under Zlatko Dalić they've experienced their greatest run in a relatively short but proud football history: runners-up at the 2018 World Cup, third place in Qatar, and a second-place finish in the previous Nations League cycle — where they only lost to Spain in a penalty shootout. On the flip side, last year’s Euros were a major letdown, as Modrić and company conceded late goals against both Albania and Italy, ultimately failing to reach the knockout stage. In the current Nations League, Croatia finished second in a tough group with Portugal, Scotland, and Poland, advancing to the quarterfinals. There, they stunned France 2-0 in the first leg but lost the return leg and were once again eliminated in a dreaded penalty shootout. They kicked off this qualification window with a clear warm-up fixture against Gibraltar, where they stopped pushing after scoring seven goals. Confidence is high, but there's pressure to show consistency against stronger sides.
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Czechia performed even worse than Croatia at the Euros, suffering from defensive lapses and crashing out without reaching the knockout phase. Their Nations League campaign started slowly, but in a tightly contested group with Ukraine, Georgia, and Albania, they managed to finish first and secure promotion. With that task complete, Ivan Hašek’s squad turned their attention to this qualification cycle starting in March. They opened with a shaky 2-1 home win over the Faroe Islands, followed by a more convincing 4-0 victory over Gibraltar. Thursday's 2-0 win over Montenegro was a solid step up, showing improved organization and efficiency in front of goal. While not explosive, Czechia has shown they can grind out results with structure and tactical discipline.
The sides first met in a 2011 friendly, which Croatia won. Their Euro 2016 and Euro 2020 encounters both ended in high-scoring draws. The hosts are favored, but avoiding defeat will be the priority for both. Expect a cautious approach — back under 2.5 goals in the match.
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 scored goals.
