Croatia has only 10 teams in their top league but has produced so many great players that their national team has been among the best in the world for a while now. They split the first two games of the Nations League this year and the next one against Scotland may prove to be crucial for the rest of the competition. The visitors are locked at the bottom of the group and have to do something about it before it is too late.
Croatia and Scotland meet on 12.10.2024, with both teams believing to win the three points. The match takes place at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, Croatia on Thursday evening.
|
Croatia |
Saturday, 12.10.2024, 18:00 |
Scotland |
|
1 |
x |
2 |
|
1,60 |
4,10 |
5,90 |
|
Expert Tip |
Croatia to win |
1,60 |
Croatia – Scotland: Initial situation
Croatia is in a much better position going into this match in the third round of the Nations League Group A. In a such format every game matters and the Croats need to use the home pitch to catch up with the leading Portugal. Scotland, on the other hand, are already in deep trouble and have to be aggressive and try to win in Zagreb.
Croatia Stats & Form
Croatia has been on the football map for a while now and have deserved the respect of every football fan out there. They finished as runner-up in the previous edition of the Nations League after losing to Spain in the penalty shootout last year. After a couple of impressive performances on the big tournaments and taking the podium, Croatia was eliminated in the group stage of the last EURO after failing to win in any of the three matches in Germany. Now, after two rounds in the Nations League, Croatia is second in the group with three points in two games. They started the competition with a 2-1 loss to Portugal on the road with all three goals coming in the first half. Croatia bounced back after that loss with a 1-0 home win over Poland with captain Luka Modric scoring the game-winner early in the second half. Croatia has six wins in the last ten games, with two draws and two losses. Six of their last eight games have gone over 2.5 goals in total.
Scotland Stats & Form
Scotland has won only one of the last ten games but actually, we cannot label it as a bad year. The main reason for that is the fact that Scotland made an appearance at the EURO only for the season time this century. They had no success in the tournament winning only one point after a draw with Switzerland and losing to the host Germany and Hungary. For the first time since the Nations League was established, Scotland is among the top teams which is the reason why they are at the bottom of the group with no points. They started the competition with a 3-2 home loss against Hungary and then failed 2-1 on the road in Portugal. Scotland’s only win in the last ten games was in a friendly game against Gibraltar.
Croatia – Scotland: Head to Head
These two teams have played six before with Scotland winning twice, Croatia once and three games ending in a tie. Their last game was in the group stage of the 2020 EURO when Croatia won 3-1. Scotland’s last win came in the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup when Scotland won both games, 2-0 at home and 1-0 on the road. Five of the previous six games between the two ended under 2.5 goals in total.
Croatia – Scotland Odds
Croatia is a major favorite going into this one with the odds for their win standing at 1,60. The visitors from Scotland are at 5,90 while the draw is at 4,10 The total goal line is set at 2.5 with 1,95 for over and 1,91 for under.
Top 3 Betting Odds
| Croatia – Scotland Betting Tip | Odds |
| Croatia to win | 1,60 |
| Over 2.5 goals | 1,95 |
| Correct score 2:0 | 7,10 |
Betting tip and prediction: Croatia – Scotland (12.10.2024)
After a disappointing loss in the final of the Nations League last season and an early elimination of the EURO, Croatia is eager to show that they are still among the top teams on the continent. They will have a tough time catching up with Portugal in the race for the first place in the group and a lot will depend on this game against Scotland. The visitors are going south in hope to win their first points in the competition. Most of Steve Clarke’s players are competing in the lower level of the English football and in the Scottish Premier League which gives them the strength to be aggressive on the defensive end. However, Croatia has a group of guys who play together for a while now and the experienced player know how to welcome and get the best out of the young guys. They will play in front of a packed stadium in the nation’s capital and will win this game pretty easily.
|
Expert Tip |
Under 2.5 goals |
1,72 |