Outright Odds: 66/1
Group File Winners: 6/one
Croatia enter their 3rd successive finals and can search for a repeat from the heroics of 1998 rather than the shame of 2002. They topped a challenging qualifying team which integrated Bulgaria and Hungary and remained unbeaten above 10 matches which provided household and away victories above fellow qualifiers Sweden.
Underneath manager Zlatko Kranjcar Croatia are a distinct workforce to how neutrals will bear in mind them from their 1998 exploits which noticed them get to the semi-last. Long gone are flair players which include Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki and previous Golden Boot Davor Suker. They are actually replaced by additional useful gamers including the Kovac brothers, Marko Babic and Dado Prso.
Like fellow qualifiers Serbia & Montenegro, Croatias good results stemmed from a robust defence where by they saved six clean sheets in 10 games and conceded just 5 ambitions in the method.
Another strength is often a range of the present Croatia squad are based in the Bundesliga, with Josip Simunic and Niko Kovac at Hertha Berlin, Babic centered at Bayer Leverkusen and Ivan Klasnic contracted to Werder Bremen.
Croatia have unearthed a expertise in midfielder Dario Srna who has designed a knack for scoring very important goals. The Shakhtar Donetsk player scored both aims in The 2 one-0 wins over Sweden within the defining matches on the team.
Key striker Dado Prso scored 5 plans in qualifying, his countrys joint top rated scorer with Srna. He burst into prominence when he netted 4 objectives for Monaco within the eight-3 Champions League thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna. He created his international debut 8 months before the match but has considering the fact that turn out to be an automatic preference in attack.
Croatia have long gone with regards to their small business quietly and confidently and In spite of their unbeaten qualification efforts, will stay unfancied by quite a few to produce any impression while in the finals. That can go well with them great as former mentor Mirko Jozic blamed the tension on the class of 1998 for your dismal failure of your 2002 squad which observed them eliminate 1-0 to Ecuador inside their final match.
Finally, they encounter favourites Brazil of their opening match so won't have to worry about facing the reigning champions in the crunch team decider. If they will just take anything at all from that video game They are going to be in 로얄카지노 pole placement to achieving the next round.
Advised Wager
Regardless of the obvious toughness in the group, Croatia are a lot more than effective at qualifying from it provided their the latest showings in qualifying with the finals. With among the meanest defences in Europe and a bunch of gamers plying their trade in Germany These are a sound wager to stick to Brazil into the last 16.
Croatia to qualify from Group F @ five/6