Malta vs Croatia Predictions

• Croatia have scored exactly three goals in four of their last seven matches.
• Croatia have kept clean sheets in four of their last five games.
• Malta have failed to score in two of their last four home games.

Only a win likely to do for Croatia

Croatia lost their advantage over Russia last month so can’t afford to slip up against Malta if they are to maintain their hopes of qualifying automatically for Qatar 2022.

Thursday’s game could be a bit tense to begin with, but Croatia’s quality should eventually see them home with a bit to spare against a Malta side that were well beaten at home by Slovenia last time out.

The Slovenes are a decent footballing side, but not a patch on Zlatko Dalic’s men for quality in midfield or firepower, which suggests to us that a scoreline matching or approaching that 4-0 rout could again be on the cards.

A lot still hangs on Domogoj Vida and Dejan Lovren for Croatia at the back, but at least the experienced duo are fit and free from suspension going into the final two games with the bigger clash – against Russia in Split to follow next week.

Dalic’s side have defensive platform

Beyond that, they have young defenders from a new generation emerging like Marin Pongracic, Duje Caleta-Car and Josko Gvardiol, so they should have a sloid platform to play at Ta’Qali National Stadium – a hybrid grass pitch with a good surface.

The odds on a Croatia win are short for a very good reason, but we can boost those up a bit by taking the visitors to win with at least three goals in the game. In all likelihood, none of those goals will be scored by the Falcons. Devis Mangia’s men will probably have to make do with less than 40 per cent of possession and are unlikely to trouble Croatia even from set pieces – hence or correct score prediction of 3-0.