Croatia vs France prediction, H2H and probable lineups - March 20, 2025
The UEFA Nations League 2024/25 quarter-final clash between Croatia and France will take place on March 20. This battle for a semi-final spot will be held at the Poljud Stadium in Split, where the 'Checkered Ones' will aim to overcome the resistance of the reigning World Cup runners-up. I suggest betting on goals in this match with good odds.
Match preview
Zlatko Dalic's team made it to the playoffs by finishing second in their group. The Croatians managed to avoid defeat in four out of six matches (2 wins, 2 draws), losing only in away games. An interesting fact: among all the quarter-finalists, only the 'Checkered Ones' didn't have a positive goal difference (8:8), although the team scored in five out of six group stage matches.
Recall that in the previous Nations League edition, Croatia reached the final, where they lost to Spain in a penalty shootout. The Balkans are confident on their home turf – their unbeaten run in the Nations League extends to 5 matches (3 wins, 2 draws).
France started the tournament with a loss to Italy, but Didier Deschamps' team then found their winning rhythm, remaining unbeaten in the next five matches (4 wins, 1 draw). As a result, 'Les Bleus' finished first in their group, surpassing the Italians on tie-breakers. Notably, with 12 goals scored, France was the least prolific among the League A group winners.
It's worth mentioning that 'Les Bleus' won the trophy in the tournament's second edition. Ahead of the away match, it should also be noted that in Nations League matches, the French show stability – in 9 out of the last 10 away games, they have not left the field defeated (7 wins and 2 draws).
Probable lineups
- Croatia: Ivica Ivusic–Josko Gvardiol, Josip Stanisic, Duje Caleta-Car, Borna Sosa–Mario Pasalic, Nikola Vlasic, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric– Ante Budimir
- France: Mike Maignan – Theo Hernandez, Raphael Varane, Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano– Michael Olise, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni – Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola
Match facts and head-to-head
- France dominates the head-to-head against Croatia, remaining unbeaten in 5 of the last 6 official matches (3 wins, 2 draws)
- The 'Both Teams to Score' bet has come through in 4 out of 5 matches
- The 'Over 2.5 goals' bet was successful in three out of five encounters
Prediction
The French team shows impressive scoring in the Nations League, scoring at least twice in 4 of the last 5 matches. Especially powerful in away matches of the current edition — 9 goals in 3 games. We believe it's worth taking 'France over 1.5 goals' at odds of 2.13.
