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Croatia vs Jordan Predictions

  • 18:45
  • Expired
  • Stadion HNK Rijeka (Rijeka)
Croatia
Jordan

odds when tipped

odds when tipped

Croatia vs Jordan Predictions

Croatia appear to be suffering from a post-World Cup hangover of sorts, having not won any of their three games after the tournament in which they finished runners-up.

In their first match, a friendly against Portugal, the team drew 1-1, thanks to a goal from winger Ivan Perisic, but looked disappointing at times throughout the game. Things were about to get even worse, though, in their first Nations League match away at Spain. The team were thrashed 6-0 in a blitz of attacking football by the home side. Croatia looked a shadow of their World Cup selves and the degree of capitulation on show must have been deeply concerning to the management.

This poor run of form continued on Friday night in their second Nations League game against England. Eric Dier and Harry Kane both hit the woodwork in a goalless draw which also saw Marcus Rashford miss a couple of decent chances.  England contained Croatia well which meant the home team’s poor run continued.

They seem to be missing the players that retired after the World Cup, particularly striker Mario Mandzukic and goalkeeper Daniel Subasic. Whilst it was expected that Croatia would need time after the World Cup to recover from the heartbreak, the performances should still cause reasonable alarm.

Ranked 91st in the world, Jordan have actually had a decent 2018 in terms of results. Friendly wins against Kuwait and Cyprus have boosted their confidence, whilst they have also drawn against Albania, Oman, and Vietnam. A home loss against Lebanon has been a black dot on the record but the team can look back and be largely happy with their performances.

Indeed, in the game against Albania last Wednesday, which finished as a goalless draw, the team held on resolutely to avoid a loss. Whereas Albania had 17 attempts on goal, Jordan mustered only six at a side ranked 34 places above them in the World. However, it was a rather lacklustre game and the result arguably had more to do with Albanian mismanagement than it did with Jordan’s performance.

Despite this, Jordan have shown they can be strong defensively and keep clean sheets effectively. The match against Croatia will be their toughest match of the year though and we think the home side will get that first post-World Cup win. However, Croatia are not playing well themselves, so we think backing Croatia to Win and Under 2.5 Goals could be a smart bet to make, with a 2-0 victory outlining Croatia’s higher quality but perhaps their lack of confidence, particularly if their biggest stars are rested.

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