Outright Odds: 66/1
Team File Winners: 6/one
Croatia enter their third successive finals and may try to look for a repeat in the heroics of 1998 as opposed to the shame of 2002. They topped a challenging qualifying team which bundled Bulgaria and Hungary and remained unbeaten above 10 룰렛사이트 matches which integrated household and away victories in excess of fellow qualifiers Sweden.
Below manager Zlatko Kranjcar Croatia are a unique group to how neutrals will recall them from their 1998 exploits which observed them get to the semi-final. Gone are flair players like Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki and former Golden Boot Davor Suker. They are changed by more purposeful players such as the Kovac brothers, Marko Babic and Dado Prso.
Like fellow qualifiers Serbia & Montenegro, Croatias success stemmed from a powerful defence wherever they held 6 clear sheets in 10 video games and conceded just 5 objectives in the procedure.
A different power is really a number 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's got formulated a knack for scoring critical aims. The Shakhtar Donetsk participant scored both of those targets in the two 1-0 wins over Sweden in the defining matches in the group.
Vital striker Dado Prso scored 5 goals in qualifying, his countrys joint top scorer with Srna. He burst into prominence when he netted four plans for Monaco in the eight-three Champions League thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna. He manufactured his international debut 8 months just before the match but has due to the fact develop into an computerized choice in assault.
Croatia have gone about their enterprise quietly and confidently and Irrespective of their unbeaten qualification initiatives, will continue to be unfancied by quite a few to help make any affect within the finals. Which will go well with them good as former mentor Mirko Jozic blamed the strain on The category of 1998 for that dismal failure from the 2002 squad which observed them shed one-0 to Ecuador of their remaining match.
At last, they face favourites Brazil within their opening match so will not likely have to worry about dealing with the reigning champions in a very crunch team decider. If they are able to take just about anything from that game They are going to be in pole position to reaching the next round.
Advised Bet
Regardless of the obvious toughness of the group, Croatia are in excess of capable of qualifying from it specified their the latest showings in qualifying with the finals. With among the list of meanest defences in Europe and a host of gamers plying their trade in Germany They're a audio wager to abide by Brazil into the last 16.
Croatia to qualify from Team File @ 5/six