Didier Deschamps’s France will square up against Croatia for a place in the semi-final of the Nations League.
The Stadion Poljud in Split will play host to the UEFA Nations League quarter-final first leg between Croatia and France on Thursday night. The winner of this tie will face the victor of the game between Netherlands and Spain.
The home team secured a second-place finish in the League A Group 1 of the UEFA Nations League behind Portugal to set up this last-eight tie against France. Zlatko Dalic’s side were far from their best as they could only win one out of their six league games.
They went winless in their last three games but have somehow made it this far. Now, they will be looking to stun Les Bleus and make it to the last four. After failing to make it out of their group in the 2023 edition of the tournament, France have already done a much better job this time around. They finished top of League 1 Group 2 to set up this fixture against Croatia.
While they were level on points with Italy, a superior head-to-head record earned them the top spot. Their last outing was a 3-1 win over the Azzurri away from home, and they will certainly be confident of getting the right result in the first leg. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Croatia
The home team are without the services of Luka Sucic, Lovro Majer, and Igor Matanovic as they are out injured. While Bruno Petkovic has recovered from a long-term hip problem, he hasn’t been called up this month. Petar Sucic is back in the mix after serving a suspension last time out.
Croatia will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Dominik Livakovic will take charge in goal. Josip Sutalo and Duje Caleta-Car will feature in the heart of the defence, while Josko Gvardiol and Josip Juranovic will feature on the flanks.
In the centre of the park, Real Madrid superstar Luka Modric will take up the holding role, while Mateo Kovacic and Petar Sucic will be in his support. Ivan Perisic and Martin Baturina will look to provide width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Andrej Kramaric should lead the line for Croatia against France.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Livakovic; Juranovic, Caleta-Car, Sutalo, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Modric, Petar Sucic; Perisic, Kramaric, Baturina
France
After being left out of the squad for the last two international breaks, Kylian Mbappe is finally back in their squad. While Marcus Thuram has pulled out of the squad because of an injury, Les Bleus have decided against calling a replacement.
France have the majority of their stars available for the game against Croatia, and they should stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation. Mike Maignan will continue in goal for them away side. Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez will be the full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba will pair up in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot will form the double pivot in the middle of the park. They will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game. Michael Olise could take up the no. 10 role with Ousmane Dembele and Mbappe on the flanks. Meanwhile, Randal Kolo Muani should lead the line for France against Croatia.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Saliba, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Mbappe; Kolo Muani
Key Stats
- Croatia have only lost one out of their seven home games across competitions.
- Didier Deschamps has impressive numbers as France’s boss. In his 165 games, he has managed to guide them to 105 wins (63.64 win %).
- Croatia have only won one out of their last ten games against Les Bleus.
- France have won each of their last three away games.
- Zlatko Dalic’s team last won a game against Deschamps’ team back in March 2022.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe was labelled as a flop after not living up to the expectations in the initial months following his move to Real Madrid. While it was a slow start, the France skipper has turned things around. He now has 30 goals and four assists in his 43 outings.
Having missed the last two international breaks, the 26-year-old will be eager to leave his mark on this game. Given the kind of form he has been in, Mbappe could end up being the difference between the two teams.
Prediction
Croatia 1-3 France
Croatia boast a lot of quality in their squad but have a poor track record against France. Les Bleus not only have a stronger bench but have also prevailed over the hosts on several key occasions, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup final. Didier Deschamps’s team should have the upper hand in this tie. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team in the first leg.
