Montenegro take on the visitors Croatia in a World Cup 2026 qualification match. The match will be played on Monday, November 17th at Podgorica City Stadium (Podgorica).
Montenegro have not managed to make any real progress. The “Brave Falcons” have several bright players in their squad. Yet they have still never qualified for a major tournament. And once again the team failed to show anything meaningful. Yes, they started the cycle with wins, but those came in March against Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands — both at home. Afterwards, any positive results appeared only in friendlies, where they drew with Armenia and even beat Liechtenstein. But in the qualifiers they suffered nothing but defeats, so any hope of fighting even for second place disappeared by mid-autumn. In the previous round, again facing the weakest opponent, Gibraltar, they won — but only managed a hard-fought 2-1. Recent matches show that Montenegro struggle to maintain intensity for long stretches, often losing control in the second half. Their overall level remains stable but limited, and they rarely convert possession into genuinely dangerous chances.
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Croatia made a good long-term choice with Dalić. But after their historic second place at the 2018 World Cup and third place in 2022, last year’s Euros brought a total failure: without a single win, Modrić and company did not reach the playoffs. And in the Nations League, after topping their group and beating France 2-0 in spring, they allowed the opponent to take revenge by the same score, ultimately losing on penalties. However, in the qualifiers the team showed their strength: a series of victories, with only a goalless draw in the Czech Republic interrupting their perfect record. In the previous round, hosting the Faroe Islanders — who had put together a string of wins in autumn — they conceded an early goal but calmly responded with three of their own, securing first place. Croatia have looked notably more consistent in recent months, controlling matches through discipline and steady pressure. Their results indicate strong momentum, with the team rarely allowing opponents to dictate the pace.
Interestingly, these two former Yugoslav sides played each other for the first time only two months ago. Croatia won that match convincingly, 4-0. The visitors are the stronger side, and it will show — the pick is Croatia with a “-1.5 goals” handicap.
Prediction for the match: Croatia to win with -1.5 handicap.
