Croatia Euro 2020/2021 Odds, Predictions & Squad

Even though Croatia reached its first-ever final at World Cup 2018 doesn’t get the most chances as the main favorites to win Euro 2020. Zlatko Dalic’s team wants to repeat the story as the European Championship gets underway this summer, a year later than the initial plan due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The “Vatreni” are the 9th favorite to win the tournament at 25.00 odds, but Luka Modric and his teammates have the faith to overcome all the obstacles in their path. The Central and Southeast European nation has the 2nd-best chances to qualify from Group D, giving 1.30 odds and 4.00 to win 1st place. Croatia enjoys a valuable blend of experienced and young players, like Modric, Perisic, and Vlasic, which seems to be enough to get them to the knock-out phase.

Read on our Croatia Euro 2020 analysis based on the squad, probable lineups and tactics. Furthermore, you can check all the latest odds and predictions for the “Vatreni” and their potential route if they get through the group stage.

Croatia Euro 2021 Odds & Predictions

The prices on Croatia to win the Euro 2020 mean that Dalic’s team has only a 4% chance to lift the trophy if your read the odds as an implied probability. So, we should focus and find the betting value based on what the World Cup 2018s finalists can realistically succeed in the tournament. Two of Croatia’s three matches will be in their opponent’s venues; that’s a significant disadvantage. After one year and more with empty stadiums, England and Scotland will host a percentage of fans against Croatia, having a considerable advantage. All teams in Group D are in a peculiar position as the 2nd place secures a more accessible path at the Last 16 Round.

Finishing 1st means that the next opponent will be the runner-up of Group F, probably Portugal, France, or Germany (i.e., the current European Champion and the last two World Cup winners). The 2nd place creates a tie with Group E’s runner-up. Spain will probably dominate this group, so Poland, Slovakia, or Sweden are teams that Croatia can beat indeed. But the difficulties for Croatians don’t stop, even if they qualify in the quarter-finals. They will possibly play with the Group F winner (the 1st-placed team at the “group of death” crosses with a 3rd-placed opponent at the Last-16). That’s the main reason Dalic’s powerhouse is being considered as an underdog in this tournament. So, get our predictions and picks based on the latest Croatia’s Euro 2021 odds to qualify from Group D.

✔️ Group D ⏩ Croatia to Win the Group @4.00 (3/1) odds.

✔️ Group D ⏩ Croatia & England to Place 1st & 2nd @4.40 (17/5) odds.

✔️ Group D ⏩ England, Croatia & Scotland to Place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd* @2.50 (3/2) odds.
*without a specific order

Croatia Euro 2020 Fixtures & Schedule

England vs. Croatia Euro 2020 match is a rivalry, friendly in nature (i.e., not politically or socially charged, of course), with eight of ten fixtures being competitive and remarkable matches. The “Vatreni” were the first national football team that won 3-2 England at the newly-built Wembley during Euro 2008 qualifying group stage. They forced the English national team to lose a ticket for its first elite competition after hosting Euro 1996. Since gaining independence, Croatia lost its first World Cup qualification from England (i.e., two wins, including a 5-1 triumph at “Wembley”) in the qualifying round for the 2010s tournament.

The teams played at the FIFA 2018 World Cup semi-final, where Croatia triumphed with a 2-1 win and got the first global grand final match to date. So, the Euro 2020 Group D’s opening day against England will be critical, and there is a need for a valiant effort to get a result. The Czech Republic is a familiar opponent for Dalic’s side after the two national football teams met in the group stage at Euro 2016. It was an entertaining 2-2 draw that helped Croatia took 1st place while the Czechs were eliminated. Finally, Croatia should be confident that it has the ability, the quality, and the talent to overwhelm Scotland, even if its opponents have an advantage as a host team. So, let’s see Croatia’s Euro 2020 fixtures for Group D and understand what will happen if Dalic’s players finish 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.

Croatia Euro 2020 Fixtures	Date	Venue
England vs. Croatia	June 13, 2021 / 15:00 CET	Wembley Stadium, London
Croatia vs. Czech Republic	June 18, 2021 / 18:00 CET	Hampden Park, Glasgow
Croatia vs. Scotland	June 22, 2021 / 21:00 CET	Hampden Park, Glasgow

Can Croatia Win Group D?

Croatia is a powerhouse in European football, even as an underdog to win the Euro 2020 tournament. Although Modric and Co can secure their qualification for the knock-out phase hoping for a better finish than placed 3rd or 2nd. The main target is to be competitive against England and show that their World Cup 2018 semi-final appearance wasn’t a firework. You can check and explore average odds in all possible outcomes that Croatians can bring on Euro 2020 Group D:

⏩ Το Win Group @4.00 (17/1) odds.

⏩ To Place 2nd @2.05 (21/20) odds.

⏩ To Qualify Group @1.30 (3/10) odds.

⏩ To Place 3rd @3.60 (13/5) odds.

⏩ Not to Qualify Group @3.40 (12/5) odds.

In the table below, you can read all the scenarios based on Croatia’s Euro 2020 fixtures if the “Vatreni” manage to qualify from the group stage.

Croatia Group Place	Last-16 Probable Opponents
1st	Runner-up Group F (Portugal, Germany, France, Hungary)
2nd	Runner-up Group E (Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia)
3rd*	Winner Group B (Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia) / Winner Group C (Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia) / Winner Group E (Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia)

*If Group D gives one of the best 3rd-placed teams to advance to the Last-16.

✔️ Our prediction: Comparing the odds based on Croatia’s chances to qualify or not from the Euro 2020 group stage, the highest prices at 4.00 odds are to win 1st place. Zlatko Dalic’s team is confirmed among the top-seeded teams and undoubtedly one of the most improved teams in Europe, so Croatians have the ability to overwhelm England.

What odds & bets bookies offer for Croatia

Croatia won Euro 2020 qualifiers Group E, taking 17 points with five victories from eight matches scoring 17 goals and conceding seven. The “Vatreni” suffered only one loss on Matchday 2, from Hungary at Budapest with 2-1. They took the ticket for the elite tournament for the sixth time, seeking to overcome their highest achievement at European Championships, the two-time qualification to quarter-finals. Dinamo Zagreb’s Bruno Petkovic was the group’s top scorer with four pieces, with Perisic and Vlasic having three each.

✔️ Our prediction: Suppose Croatia’s key players are equally competitive in this tournament as three years before. In that case, they can repeat a sports underdog story and limit England to 2nd place (this specific order gives a 4.40 payout). If you think Scotland can overcome the Czech Republic and get 3rd place, the pick based on England, Croatia, and Scotland to place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, without a specific order, has a betting value at 2.50 odds.

Croatia Euro 2020/2021 Lineup & Tactics

We released our picks and predictions, keeping in mind Croatia’s route at Euro 2020 qualifiers, the Nations League path A results, and the starting qualifying matches of the World Cup 2022. Zlatko Dalic’s manager plans are based on key players like Luka Modric and other top-rated names such as Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic. So, read on our Croatia Euro 2020 preview and discover all the detailed tactics, the probable lineup for the tournament and the squad.

The Squad

Zlatko Dalic announced the 26-men selection for the Euro 2020 without hesitating a big surprise. Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic, 33, retired from international football, and Cagliari’s midfielder Marko Rog faces injury issues, so these are “Vatreni’s” main absentees comparing to recent calls. Underneath, you can check the list with Croatia’s Euro 2020 squad.

The Key Players & Tactics

Luka Modric, at 35, is the first Croatian player to win the Ballon d’Or and this team’s frontman. Real Madrid’s playmaker is still relatively quick on his feet, dominating the midfield with great possessions, scoring goals, and giving assist-passes in the twilight of his career. Ivan Perisic is considered a valuable supporter, having the ability to cause significant troubles on the opposite box. Besides the top experienced players, Croatia has great ball-handlers like Nikola Vlasic with stamina and athletic skills who are dominant in the middle of the field and the offensive line.

After the successful appearances at Euro 2020 qualifiers, Croatia took 3rd place at Nations League with only one win at six matches against France, Portugal, and Sweden. The 2018 World Cup finalists made a mediocre start at World Cup 2022 qualifiers, suffered a 1-0 away defeat on the opening day from Slovakia. After that shocking loss, Croatia made home wins against Cyprus (1-0) and Malta (3-0), taking six expected points. The manager Dalic used both 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations, deploying all eligible players and the variety of their skills.

The Probable Lineup

Croatia’s manager should make crucial decisions to shape the best lineup for the Euro 2020 group stage matches. The first one refers to the tournament’s starting goalie; Hajduk Split’s Lovre Kalinic and Dinamo Zagreb’s Dominik Livakovic have the same international experience. In the last official match against Malta, Livakovic was in the starting lineup. Domagoj Vida and Dejan Lovren are the squad’s influential central defenders, but Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car seems an excellent possibility to be a starter.

Sime Vrsaljko, Josip Juranovic, and Borna Barisic are the three players for two places on the right and left of the Croatian defense. We should wait to see Dalic’s tactics at Euro 2020 group stage to understand how he plans to make good use of his young, intelligent and more experienced players. Modric, Brozovic and Kovacic are the prevailing midfielders for the starting lineup, with Vlasic, Petkovic, Orsic, and Budimir claim a place to surround the exceptional Ivan Perisic in the offensive line.

The Manager

Zlatko Dalic was appointed manager of Croatia in October 2017, following the dismissal of Ante Cacic due to poor results. The 54-years-old coach played for several clubs, beginning his career at Hajduk Split. The retired defensive midfielder finished his career as a player at Varteks, and then he moved into management. In 2008, he won his first significant honour as a coach winning the Albanian Cup with Dinamo Tirana.

Dalic enjoyed great success as Al Faisaly’s manager in Saudi Arabia and at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates before named head coach of the Croatia national football team. Under his authority, the “Vatreni” reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup final. He prefers 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation, having very successful stats at European Championship’s and World Cup’s qualifying stages with 62,5% and 66,67% win ratio percentages, respectively.

You can explore in the underneath list the best online betting sites for Euro 2020 that offer the highest odds for Croatia to qualify from the group stage and win the tournament.