Wales vs Croatia

Cardiff City Stadium forms the backdrop for a pivotal Euro 2024 qualifier between Group D heavyweights Wales and Croatia.

Wales could already feel their hopes of qualifying for their third consecutive European Championship finals slipping through their fingers before a crucial 2-0 victory at Latvia in September reignited their qualification hopes. After putting a stop to a two-match losing streak in Euro 2024 qualifiers, Rob Page’s men return to Cardiff keen to avenge a dreadful 4-2 defeat to Armenia last time out. Nothing less will do for the ‘Dragons’ as they sit three points adrift of runners-up Croatia, a side they’ve failed to beat in all seven previous H2Hs (D3, L4). Plagued by injuries to star forward Brennan Johnson and captain Aaron Ramsey, Wales might doubt their chances here, even though they held Croatia to a late 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in Split. A 4-0 demolition of Gibraltar in the build-up to this crunch contest could be morale-boosting.

In the meantime, Croatia slipped to an unexpected 1-0 home loss to Turkey in midweek, suffering their first Euro qualifying defeat in over four years. But more importantly, the ‘Checkered Ones’ relinquished the top spot in Group D in the process, casting some doubt on their bid to reach the Euros finals for the sixth time on the trot. That loss also knocked them down from a three-match winning streak in this qualifying cycle and marked only their second scoring blank in seven internationals in 2023. On the upside, Zlatko Dalic’s men have gone from strength to strength on the road since winning the bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (W2, D1), netting multiple goals on two of those three travels. Interestingly, the Croats have never lost back-to-back Euro qualifiers in history!