Croatia 2020 UEFA Euro Betting
Croatia nearly became the most improbable World Cup champion of all-time in 2018. The small nation of just over 4 million captured the hearts of football fans the world over with their run at the 2018 World Cup. They picked up all nine points in the Group Stage and blasted Argentina 3-0 in the process before heading to the knockout rounds.
From there, Croatia played three straight matches that couldn’t be decided in regulation. They bested Denmark in penalties in the Round of 16, doubled down on that penalty win against Russia in the quarterfinals, and then toppled England in added time to advance to the finals. They were unable to have similar success against France in a 4-2 loss, but the Croatian team returned as national heroes following their inspiring performance. The Hrvatska would love to relive that magical run at this summer’s European Championships.
Croatia Squad Profile
UEFA Euro Odds: +3500
Coach: Zlatko Dalic
FIFA Ranking: 14
Best Finish: Quarterfinals (1996, 2008)
Group: D ( Czech Republic, England and Scotland )
How They Got Here
Croatia ended up being placed in a tricky qualifying group. Some were questioning the Croatians after they finished 5-2-1 and failed to put a lot of distance between themselves and Wales, Slovakia, and Hungary, but those other three teams all managed to qualify for this summer’s Euros too. The national team won all four of their home games in qualifying but went 1-2-1 on the road.
Team Preview
This is probably the last gasp for Croatia’s most talented team ever. Mario Mandzukic retired after the 2018 World Cup, Ivan Rakitic announced his retirement from the national team in September, and superstar midfielder Luka Modric is turning 36 this September.
Modric is the captain and key to everything for Croatia. His 136 caps are the most all-time, and he is a dynamic playmaker for both his national team and at Real Madrid. Modric is still playing at a high level, but how much longer can he keep it up?
Ivan Perisic is the other important player on this team. We see him typically play up front with Croatia, but he can also be deployed as an attacking midfielder. Perisic is the active leading scorer on the national team following Mandzukic’s retirement, and a lot of the goalscoring onus will be on him.
There are other talented forwards and midfielders like Ante Rebic, Andrej Kramaric, Nikola Vlasic, and Mateo Kovacic. They will ensure Croatia is competitive at this year’s competition.
The back line is extremely underrated considering some of the talent in defense. Sime Vrsaljko is one of the keys to Diego Simeone’s stalwart defense at Atletico Madrid, and Dejan Lovren and Domagoj Vida have a lot of experience. Tin Jedvaj and Borna Barisic are worth watching in the back too.
Croatia Schedule
GROUP STAGE
Sunday June 13
England vs. Croatia (London; 9 a.m. ET, 3 p.m.)
Friday June 18
Croatia vs. Czech Republic (Glasgow; noon ET, 6 p.m.)
Tuesday June 22
Croatia vs. Scotland (Glasgow; 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m.)
Croatia’s History at the European Championships
Although Croatia did not compete internationally until the mid-1990s, they have a history of outperforming expectations with the world watching. Davor Suker led Croatia to a third-place finish in the country’s very first World Cup appearance, earning the Golden Boot as Croatia knocked off Romania before stunning Germany 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the 1998 World Cup.
Croatia has never advanced further than the quarterfinals in the European Championships though. Their debut appearance was in 1996, and the country knocked off Turkey and Denmark in the Group Stage to advance to the knockout rounds before losing to eventual champions Germany.
The Hrvatska didn’t qualify for the 2000 Euros and failed to win a match at the 2004 Euros, but the 2008 Euros saw Croatia put forth its best effort yet. Croatia beat Austria, Germany, and Poland in the Group Stage to win Group B before losing in penalties to Turkey in the quarterfinals. It was a heartbreaking loss as Ivan Klasnic appeared to net the game winner in the 119th minute, but Turkey equalized just before the final whistle.
Croatia could only make it to the Round of 16 at the 2016 European Championships. They topped a group that included Spain, Turkey, and the Czech Republic, beating Spain in the last game of the Group Stage to claim the group. Unfortunately, they were pitted against eventual champions Portugal in the first game of the knockout rounds and lost 1-0 in added extra time.
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