On Monday, June 9, at the Opus Arena, Croatia and the Czech Republic will face off in a key match for the race to top Group L, which also includes Montenegro, the Faroe Islands, and Gibraltar. Heavy points are at stake to boost ambitions for direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup. The hosts, coached by Zlatko Dalic, debuted in the group last Saturday with a convincing 7-0 victory over Gibraltar, thanks to braces from Ivanovic and Kramaric, and goals from Pasalic, Budimir, and Perisic. Buoyed by this strong start, Croatia now aims to secure a second win that would bring them closer to the top spot. Coming off a third-place finish at the 2022 World Cup, the white-and-reds will rely on the experience of veterans Modric and Perisic to remain among the top contenders in international football, but first they must overcome this direct clash for Group L leadership. The Czech Republic arrives with high morale and a perfect record after three wins in three matches. Ivan Hasek’s men have defeated the Faroe Islands 2-1, thrashed Gibraltar 4-0, and beat Montenegro 2-0 in the last round, thanks to goals from Patrik Schick and Adam Hlozek. A perfect start that rekindles the dream of returning to a World Cup final stage after nearly twenty years: the last Czech appearance was in the 2006 tournament in Germany. Although Montenegro has also collected six points in two games, the impression is that the fight for first place will be mainly between Croatia and the Czech Republic. For this reason, the match at Opus Arena already looks like a potential turning point in the qualification race.

Croatia's Recent Form and Key Statistics

Despite the emphatic 7-0 away win against Gibraltar, Croatia comes into this match following some inconsistent performances. Previously, the white-and-reds had one win and one loss in the Nations League quarterfinals against France, played last March. In November, they recorded a loss to Scotland and a 1-1 draw against Portugal, results that raised some doubts about the team's stability.

Playing at home is definitely an advantage for Dalic’s team, which is unbeaten in front of their own fans for seven matches, with five wins and two draws. Their World Cup qualifying record confirms Croatia’s reliability at home: they are unbeaten in their last ten home matches, with six wins in the last seven.

Czech Republic's Recent Form and Key Statistics

With the 2-0 win over Montenegro, the Czech Republic achieved their eighth consecutive positive result, consisting of six wins and two draws, with four victories in their last four games. This record highlights the excellent form of the team coached by Ivan Hasek. In their last five matches, the Czechs have collected four wins and one draw, averaging 2.67 goals scored and only 0.33 conceded per game, showing a solid balance between offense and defense.

Away from home, the Czech Republic has been less impressive: in their last four away matches in the Nations League and World Cup qualifiers, they secured only one victory—the 4-0 thrashing of Gibraltar in Group L. In World Cup qualifying games, they are unbeaten in seven matches, with five wins in the last six, demonstrating solidity and consistency when it counts.

Croatia vs Czech Republic Prediction and Tactical Overview

Matches between Croatia and the Czech Republic have often been balanced: in three previous encounters, Croatia has won only once, with the other two matches ending in draws. For Croatia, playing at home, the goal is clear: to achieve a second consecutive win after the big victory over Gibraltar, to close the gap in the standings and prevent the visitors from pulling away.

Croatia has several players capable of troubling the Czech defense, such as Ante Budimir, author of a great season with Osasuna, and Ivan Perisic, always dangerous on the wing with his assists and individual skills. In midfield, Zlatko Dalic can count on the creativity of the evergreen Luka Modric, eager to give his best before starting his new adventure with AC Milan.

While the Czech Republic is strong at home, they have shown less solidity on the road, as demonstrated by the four goals conceded last September away to Georgia in the Nations League. Despite conceding only one goal in the first three World Cup qualifiers, the quality of the Croatian attackers could prove decisive for a crucial victory in the race for first place.

It is also worth considering that Croatia, a mature team with a lot of international experience, reached significant placements in the last two World Cups (second and third place). Playing in front of their fans and with stronger motivation, the Croatia vs Czech Republic prediction leans in favor of a win for Zlatko Dalic’s team.

• Croatia vs Czech Republic prediction of the BetMines algorithm predicts the sign 1 at 41%.
  
  
• Croatia vs Czech Republic prediction of the BetMines algorithm predicts the sign X at 26%.
  
  
• Croatia vs Czech Republic prediction of the BetMines algorithm predicts the sign 2 at 32%.

Predicted Lineups Croatia vs Czech Republic

CROATIA (4-2-3-1): Livakovic; Stanisic, Caleta-Car, Sutalo, Gvardiol; Modric, Majer; Baturina, Pasalic, Perisic; Budimir. Coach: Dalic.

CZECH REPUBLIC (4-2-3-1): Kovar; Coufal, Holes, Krejci, Zeleny; Soucek, Cerv; Cerny, Sulc, Provod; Schick. Coach: Hasek.