A top-tier clash is at hand in Group L, where the 2 favourites, the Czech Republic and Croatia, will go head-to-head in a battle for the first spot. A lot is at stake here, as both sides are with the same number of points before the game – 12.
Czech Republic Team News
The Czech Republic’s dreams of qualifying for a first World Cup since 2006 are alive, but the task will be undoubtedly difficult. Ivan Hašek and his men will be looking for a win here, as a second place in the group will send them to the play-offs, a fate that everybody in the Czech camp is looking to avoid. Nevertheless, Hašek’s side should be confident ahead of their Croatia clash, as the team’s form and results have been good, with just one loss across their last 11 international fixtures and 7 victories in that period. The Czechs have kept 5 clean sheets during this run and failed to score just once – against Albania.
Croatia Team News
Croatia is currently ranked #10 in the FIFA rankings and is the definitive favourite for the top spot in Group L. The team has demolished everybody on its path in this qualifying cycle and holds a perfect record as well. What’s more, Croatia has scored a whopping 17 goals across their 4 qualifying group fixtures while conceding just 1 in the process, ironically against the Czech Republic. It is unsurprising then that Croaria will make the short trip north as a clear favourite, in lieu of their recent results, stellar performances in WCQ action (11 wins and 2 draws) and the fact that they have reached at least the semi-finals of the last 2 World Cup editions.
Head-to-Head-Games
The Czech Republic and Croatia have met a total of 4 times. All of the games between them have featured goals from both sides. Except for 1 fixture, all others have also produced over 3.5 goals.
Czech Republic vs Croatia Betting Prediction
For this game, my pick is for both teams to score. Croatia have been dominant in this group, scoring a ton and conceding just 1 goal. Their overall stellar performance in the WCQ stages heavily tilts the odds in their favour. But the one goal they did concede in the current group came against the Czechs. Now, the upcoming game between them and the Czech Republic will have heavy consequences in the battle for the top spot. So a lot is at stake here, and I expect both teams to look for the win and not sit back and wait. H2H results between them also imply that goals from both are to be expected.
Betting Tip: Both Teams To Score: Yes
Bookmaker: Sportsbet.io
Odds: 1.77
Sportsbet.io
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