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Two nations who are unfancied in their group meet in League A of the Nations League as Czech Republic host Croatia at the Fortuna Arena on Saturday night.
They are also joined by the fourth-highest ranked nation in the world in England and world champions Spain.
Thus, this opener gives both nations a good chance to get some early points on the board.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Czech Republic vs. Croatia key stats
- Czech Republic were winless at the World Cup (D1, L2).
- Croatia are unbeaten in four away games (W3, D1).
- Croatia are unbeaten in six H2Hs (W3, D3).
Czech Republic vs. Croatia preview: Visitors to emerge victorious?
Czech Republic vs Croatia — Tale of the Tape
| Czech Republic | vs | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Position | 1st |
| 0 | Points | 0 |
| 0 | Goals For | 0 |
| 0 | Goals Against | 0 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 2nd (H) | Home / Away Rank | 1st (A) |
After a disappointing World Cup where they crashed out at the group stage, Miroslav Koubek was sacked by Czech Republic.
Santi Denia is now in charge, tasked with trying to compete in a difficult Nations League group.
Star striker Patrik Schick has also retired, making life more difficult for the new boss.
The next top scorer Tomas Soucek is also injured, so it is a struggle to see where the Czechs will get their goals from.
Croatia have stuck with a core group of players that includes 41-year-old Luka Modric, but Zlatko Dalic has left his post after nine years.
Slaven Bilic is the man tasked with replacing him, but having progressed beyond the group in the last two Nations League campaigns, Croatia may struggle to do so this time around.
One of their other opponents in the group is England, who defeated them 4-2 at the World Cup, and the other is Spain, who won the tournament.
However, ranking 35 places (13th) above Czech Republic (48th) in the FIFA world rankings, Croatia will fancy their chances of a result here.
Czech Republic vs. Croatia form guide & betting tips
| Czech Republic | vs | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
WWLDL |
Form | WLWWL |
| 7 | Goals For | 8 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 8 |
| Nations League |
Whispers predicts: Czech Republic 1-2 Croatia
Croatia are favourites, and given their superior form and quality in their squad, we are backing Croatia to win at 6/5 (2.20).
Czech Republic could cause problems at home though, and so BTTS – Yes at 4/6 (1.67) also appeals.
Six of the Czech's last seven competitive games have also featured 11 or more corners, so Over 10.5 corners at 15/8 (2.88) could also be worth a punt.
Overall, we are predicting a 2-1 Croatia victory, which is available at 8/1 (9.00).
> BTTS – Yes at 1.67 | Likelihood: High
> Croatia to win at 2.20 | Likelihood: Medium
> Over 10.5 corners at 2.88 | Likelihood: Medium