Croatia vs Czech Republic
Croatia and Czech Republic have had contrasting starts in their respective Euro 2020 campaigns and they’ll look to add points when they face anew this Friday in Hampden Park.
The Croatians fell short in trying to beat England in their first game while Czech Republic took everyone by surprise when they beat Scotland in a convincing 2-0 victory.
Patrik Schick was featured heavily in the Euro 2020 highlights reel since he was too hot against the Scots, while Raheem Sterling scored the only goal of the game against the Vatreni.
The Czechs and the Three Lions now occupy the top two spots in Group D, while Croatia and Scotland are at the bottom with zero points apiece.
A win here would virtually guarantee Czech Republic’s spot in the knockout stages, while the same result would keep Croatia’s hopes alive.
Croatia and Czech Republic have rarely met in international games but this is expected to be a classic given the high stakes involved.
Read on below as SBOTOP examines both of these countries in our match preview.
Talking Points
Croatia are too dependent on Luka Modric
Something needs to change tactics-wise for Zlatko Dalic as his team has been struggling for goals in quite some time.
Croatia only had one game this year to where they scored more than one goal, and that was against a lowly team like Malta in the World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
In their first game here in the Euros, Croatia looked off as England dominated the ball in the first half. The Vatreni eventually did some damage in the midfield but they simply couldn’t convert when they had their chances.
Luka Modric was once again the best player for the Croats as he was all over the pitch, making tackles and moving the ball well in trying to break down England’s defence.
However, they cannot rely too much on the 35-year-old if they have plans to advance. Zlatko Dalic has a huge task in trying to draw out the best of his other star players.
Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Marcelo Brozovic, and Ante Rebic will all play crucial roles and they have the quality to make a difference especially in the final third.
Meanwhile, they also have the likes of Mario Pasalic, Josip Brekalo, and Bruno Petkovic who all can make an impact off the bench.
Patrik Schick is too slick for Czech Republic
Czech Republic came into the tournament as huge underdogs and their win against Scotland, a team who beat them twice in the UEFA Nations League last year, served a major confidence boost.
Patrik Schick spearheaded the Czechs’ attack against Scotland with his brace, which includes his amazing goal during the 52nd minute from the halfway line. The said score should definitely be in contention for goal of the tournament.
Scotland came close to scoring many times but Czech Republic’s defence stood firm thanks to the brilliance of their goalkeeper in Tomas Vaclik.
Against a desperate team like Croatia, Czech Republic needs to kick things up a notch in order to secure their knockout stage berth.
History
Croatia and Czech Republic have only met two times in an international setting, with one of them dating back to Euro 2016 in a group stage match.
The said game was an absolute thriller and the teams shared the spoils with a 2-2 draw.
Croatia were in control through goals from Ivan Perisic and Ivan Rakitic. However, Milan Skoda and Tomas Necid sparked a comeback to draw level in the final 15 minutes.
These countries also met in an international friendly back in 2011 where Croatia won 4-2 thanks to the late goals from Niko Kalinic and Ivo Ilicevic.
Betting Tip
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Croatia vs Czech Republic | Czech Republic Asian Handicap -0.00 @ 2.63 |
| June 19, 00:00 (GMT+8) |
The Euro 2020 odds put Croatia ahead to win in this pivotal contest on Friday.
Croatia are favoured to win at 2.24, while Czech Republic are pegged at 3.20 and chances for a draw are at 3.10 in the 1×2 market.
But given their struggles at goal as of late, it’s going to be hard to bet on Croatia to win especially since they’ll face an in-form team like Czech Republic.
Compared to the Croats, the Czechs are playing freely since they feel like they have nothing to lose in this competition.
Patrik Schick is a threat with his feet as well as his head and the Bayer Leverkusen hitman should prove to be the difference en route to their second straight win.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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