Outright Odds: sixty six/one
Team F Winners: six/1
Croatia enter their 3rd successive finals and may seek out a repeat with the heroics of 1998 rather then the embarrassment of 2002. They topped a complicated qualifying group which involved Bulgaria and Hungary and remained unbeaten over 10 matches which provided home and absent victories around fellow qualifiers Sweden.
Beneath supervisor Zlatko Kranjcar Croatia are a different staff to how neutrals will recall them from their 1998 exploits which observed them reach the semi-remaining. Absent are aptitude players such as Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki and former Golden Boot Davor Suker. They are actually replaced by additional practical players like the Kovac brothers, Marko Babic and Dado Prso.
Like fellow qualifiers Serbia & Montenegro, Croatias accomplishment stemmed from a robust defence wherever they held 6 thoroughly clean sheets in ten video games and conceded just 5 objectives in the process.
An additional toughness is often a amount of the current Croatia squad are based in the Bundesliga, with Josip Simunic and Niko Kovac at Hertha Berlin, Babic dependent at Bayer Leverkusen and Ivan Klasnic contracted to Werder Bremen.
Croatia have unearthed a expertise in midfielder Dario Srna who may have designed a knack for scoring critical plans. The Shakhtar Donetsk player scored both of those aims in the two one-0 wins more than Sweden while in the defining matches from the team.
Crucial striker Dado Prso scored 5 goals in qualifying, his countrys joint top scorer with Srna. He burst into prominence when he netted 4 objectives for Monaco inside the 8-3 Champions League thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna. He created his international debut 8 months prior to the match but has considering that grow to be an automatic alternative in assault.
Croatia have long gone about their small business quietly and confidently and Regardless 카지노게임사이트 of their unbeaten qualification endeavours, will keep on being unfancied by quite a few to generate any affect during the finals. That will accommodate them great as former mentor Mirko Jozic blamed the stress on The category of 1998 for the dismal failure with the 2002 squad which saw them get rid of 1-0 to Ecuador in their last match.
Eventually, they face favourites Brazil within their opening match so is not going to have to worry about dealing with the reigning champions within a crunch group decider. If they can get nearly anything from that game they will be in pole place to achieving the second round.
Recommended Guess
Regardless of the apparent toughness from the group, Croatia are much more than able to qualifying from it supplied their the latest showings in qualifying for your finals. With one of several meanest defences in Europe and a number of players plying their trade in Germany These are a sound wager to comply with Brazil into the final sixteen.
Croatia to qualify from Group F @ 5/six