Czechia vs Croatia — Tips & Analysis

Czechia +0.5: These two keep cancelling each other out. Three of the last four meetings ended in a tie, including a 0-0 in Prague last October. Czechia are also hard to beat in front of their own fans. They have lost one of their last nine home games, scoring almost 2 a game there and letting in 1 a game. Croatia look the better side on paper and they score more than 2 goals a game. That number is propped up by easy nights against Gibraltar, Montenegro and the Faroe Islands. Against serious opposition their last four games read 1-2 to Portugal, 2-1 over Ghana, 1-0 over Panama and 2-4 at England. Croatia are very good, not unbeatable. Both teams are cold as well. Czechia have had 93 days since their last game and Croatia 86, so rust and rotation come into it. Modrić and Kovačić should boss long spells without the game ever really opening up, and 1-1 looks the likeliest finish. That result is exactly what we want. The honest worry is Czechia's own state. Their World Cup was awful. They lost 0-3 to Mexico and 1-2 to South Korea. Defender David Jurásek is the seventh player they have lost to injury. A patched up back line against Croatia's forwards could crack. This matchup still points to a close game, and we are with Czechia.