Outright Odds: 66/one
Group F Winners: six/1
Croatia enter their 3rd successive finals and can try to find a repeat of the heroics of 1998 instead of the shame of 2002. They topped a tough qualifying group which incorporated Bulgaria and Hungary and remained unbeaten about 10 matches which included home and away victories over fellow qualifiers Sweden.
Underneath manager Zlatko Kranjcar Croatia are a special workforce to how neutrals will recall them from their 1998 exploits which noticed them reach the semi-remaining. Long gone are flair gamers including Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki and previous Golden Boot Davor Suker. They happen to be replaced by a lot more useful gamers such as the Kovac brothers, Marko Babic and Dado Prso.
Like fellow qualifiers Serbia & Montenegro, Croatias results stemmed from a strong defence where by they held six clear sheets in 10 games and conceded just five ambitions in the method.
An additional toughness is often a selection of the present Croatia squad are situated 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 may have formulated a knack for scoring important targets. The Shakhtar Donetsk participant scored both targets in the two one-0 wins about Sweden in the defining matches from the group.
Important striker Dado Prso scored 5 targets in qualifying, his countrys joint top scorer with Srna. He burst into prominence when he netted 4 ambitions for Monaco during the 8-three Champions League thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna. He produced his Global debut eight months prior to the match but has due to the fact develop into an automated alternative in attack.
Croatia have absent regarding their business quietly and confidently and despite their unbeaten qualification initiatives, will remain unfancied by a lot of to make any affect during the finals. Which will match them good as former coach Mirko Jozic blamed the pressure on the class of 1998 for the dismal failure in the 2002 squad which observed them lose 1-0 to Ecuador in their final match.
Finally, they confront favourites Brazil in their opening 온라인카지노 match so will not have to bother with dealing with the reigning champions in a very crunch team decider. If they will get anything at all from that video game they will be in pole position to reaching the second spherical.
Advisable Bet
Regardless of the apparent toughness from the group, Croatia are greater than capable of qualifying from it specified their new showings in qualifying with the finals. With among the meanest defences in Europe and a bunch of players plying their trade in Germany They may be a audio bet to abide by Brazil into the last sixteen.
Croatia to qualify from Group F @ 5/6