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Croatia will face the Czech Republic at the Opus Arena on Monday in another round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The home side look to have shaken off their UEFA Nations League disappointments and have set their sights on a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.
They opened their group in emphatic fashion on Friday as they carried out a 7-0 demolition of Gibraltar on the road, featuring goals from five different players, including Andrej Kramaric and Franjo Ivanovic, who both came off the bench to net braces.
The Czech Republic have been brilliant in their World Cup qualifying campaign so far, laying down an early marker in their push for a first appearance on the global stage since 2006. They picked up a 2-0 win over Montenegro in their last group game with Hoffenheim man Adam Hlozek opening the scoring with a long-range strike midway through the first half, before Patrick Schick doubled their advantage midway through the second.
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The visitors sit atop Group L with nine points from three games and will be looking to continue their winning streak next week.
Croatia vs Czech Republic Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Monday's game will mark the fifth meeting between the two nations. Croatia are undefeated in all four of their previous matchups, picking up two wins and two draws.
- The two teams last faced off in Euro 2020 with their group-stage clash ending 1-1.
- Czechia are the highest-scoring side in Group L with eight goals in three games.
- Croatia were ranked 11th in the latest FIFA rankings and now sit 28 places above their midweek opponents.
Croatia vs Czech Republic Prediction
Vatreni have won two of their last three games after winning the same in their previous nine outings. Zlatko Dalic's men showed last time out that they can still perform at a high level despite an aging squad and will head into Monday's game with confidence.
Nároďák have won their last four games on the bounce and are undefeated in their last eight. They have, however, struggled for results on the road of late and could see defeat against a slightly better side next week.
Prediction: Croatia 2-1 Czech Republic
Croatia vs Czech Republic Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Croatia to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: YES (Both sides have found the back of the net in each of their previous four matchups)
Tip 3 - Czechia to score first: YES (The visitors have opened the scoring in seven of their last eight outings)
