*Match preview and betting tips provided by SVB Tips
The Last Encounter: Croatia's Sole Victory
The two teams have met ten times in total, most memorably with France's thrilling 4-2 World Cup Final success in Russia seven years ago.
Out of the ten meetings between the two sides, France lead with 6 wins to Croatia’s solitary victory in their last encounter, securing a 1-0 victory in Paris in 2022's Nations League encounter. Indeed, all of the last three encounters between these teams have been decided by similar narrow margins.
Croatia's Recent Struggles: Just Two Wins in the Last Nine
Zlatko Dalić’s team finished second in their group with 8 points, drawing 1-1 at home with Portugal in their final match in Split.
Looking at Croatia’s recent form, they have not been in great shape, with their last nine matches producing only two wins, both of which came at home in the Nations League: a 1-0 win over Poland and a 2-1 win against Scotland.
We can expect another close encounter here, as every one of Croatia’s last eight games has been decided by a slim margin. The last home defeat for Croatia was a 0-1 loss to Turkey in October, 2023.
Injuries and Absences for Croatia: Croatia will be missing several key players: midfielder Sucic (Real Sociedad), influential midfielder Majer (Wolfsburg), and forward Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb).
France's Strong Away Form: Undefeated Since September 2022
France ended their group-stage campaign strongly, securing a 3-1 away win against Italy to top the group.
In the past year, Didier Deschamps' men have only lost twice: a 1-2 defeat against Spain in the semi-finals of the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany and a 1-3 home loss to Italy in the opening match of their Nations League campaign last autumn.
It's worth noting that France’s last official away loss (excluding finals tournaments) was on September 25, 2022, when they fell 0-2 in Denmark in the Nations League.
Injuries and Absences for France: France will be without their key forward, Thuram (Inter Milan), for this clash.
Betting Suggestions:
- France to Win – Despite Croatia’s home advantage, France's strong away form and superior head-to-head record suggest they are likely to secure a win.
- Under 2.5 Goals – With both teams often producing tight encounters, and considering Croatia’s recent matches, betting on under 2.5 goals could be a strong option.
- Anytime Goalscorer: Kylian Mbappé has been a constant threat for France, and betting on him to score anytime is a solid choice based on his form.
- Correct Score 1-0 to France – Given the history of close encounters between the two, a 1-0 victory for France is a plausible prediction.