After their disappointing 3-0 loss against Spain, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic will look for his team’s fortunes to turn around when they take on Albania at Volksparkstadion in Hamburg. They are currently in an tenuous position within Group B and require a win to avoid complications.
Gjasula’s late equaliser was just reward for Albania, who never gave up. Their final game, Croatia national football team vs Albania national football team lineups, provides another opportunity to create tension.
Croatia vs. Albania
Croatia is among the tournament’s favorites, but their opening Euro 2024 match against Spain ended with a crushing 3-0 defeat for Luka Modric’s Vatreni team. They must rebound against Albania to maintain any hopes of reaching the quarterfinals and be prepared for yet another challenger from this Balkan nation.
Albania managed to shock reigning champion Italy in their opener, but will have to be at their best against Croatia if they wish to finish in the top-two spots. Zlatko Dalic made numerous changes at halftime that may make an impactful statement against an upbeat Croatian side.
Albania is doing well defensively and forwards are making themselves dangerous on the counterattack, yet they cannot create enough chances in the final third to break through and score goals.
Asani has an injury that puts his participation into doubt for Albania and Ray Manaj may make his first appearance of this tournament, shifting Bajrami onto the left of attack while Arber Hoxha comes into the game up front.
Croatia now begins to dominate possession and create opportunities on the break. A sublime flicked pass from Susic finds Kramaric near the edge of the box; his strike goes just wide; then Budimir swings in a corner kick which Kramaric heads in off of the crossbar and into scoring position.
Croatia is beginning to establish control of the game after an initially slow second period. A stunning move sees Luka Sucic and Mateo Kovacic join up on the right wing before Sucic’s low shot is blocked by Albania’s defense.
Albania made their move towards the end of the match and attempted to find an equalizer, as Hoxha provided Mitaj with a pass down the left wing, only for Gjasula to meet it with a sidefooted strike into the bottom corner of the goal.
Albania secured a draw, levelling points at the top of Group D with France after scoring with their last kick of the match. Both teams now share equal ground on points at the head of their group.
Lineups
Luka Modric’s Croatia could take the first step toward promotion to UEFA Nations League B’s top division with a victory against Ukraine – they both look set for top-two finishes in their group.
Croatia came close to extending their lead against Georgia during the last round, only for Klaus Gjasula to score an equaliser at 95 minutes and secure Georgia a place in the knockout rounds with his 95th-minute equaliser. Still unbeaten in competition, they can ensure entry via victory against their hosts on November 8.
Recent results for Bulgaria have seen them slide to fourth in their pool following a defeat at Portugal 2-0, but they remain two points above relegation zone and must avoid defeat here if they want to remain second ahead of Bulgaria in Pool C.
Petar Sucic will miss his second consecutive match as first-choice goalkeeper is suspended following his yellow card during the 2-1 loss to Scotland due to receiving a yellow card for being sent off in that match, so Mario Pasalic may start in goal instead. Ante Budimir returns, although his place could potentially be filled by Andrej Kramaric instead in the final third. Fiorentina’s Marin Pongracic could provide cover on the left flank while Duje Caleta-Car could play alongside Ajax defender Josip Sutalo alongside Ajax defender Josip Sutalo who could play alongside each other as centre backs alongside their counterparts from Ajax and Ajax respectively.
Albania’s preparations have been hindered by injury concerns. With Armando Broja and Rey Manaj unavailable, Indrit Tuci and Mirlind Daku will battle it out for starting roles up front. Meanwhile, Marash Kumbulla and Berat Djimsiti both not present, Kristjan Asllani should get the nod at right-back ahead of Nedim Bajrami as an experienced right-back alternative.
Tomas Chory will serve as the focal point for the visitors’ offense on Tuesday. The tall forward has scored four times in seven national team appearances over recent months and can present a real threat against Czech defenses.
Predictions
Croatia will look to shake off last week’s devastating loss in Scotland when they take on Portugal in the UEFA Nations League at Stadion Poljud on Tuesday. Zlatko Dalic has made several adjustments from his team which lost to Aston Villa captain John McGinn 1-0 at the weekend, hoping for better results against 2018 World Cup runners-up Portugal.
Croatia are the highest-ranked team in Group H and could finish as winners, provided they get off to a good start. They haven’t managed to overcome Portugal in two previous meetings and must improve on their discipline after seeing two players sent off against Scotland.
Portugal won the inaugural Nations League and can advance to the quarter-finals by beating Croatia. They already secured two wins out of two games played so have an edge over third-placed Italy who must beat Albania to qualify.
This will be a difficult test for the reigning champions, who have struggled at times in Group F but remain dangerous with Ronaldo lending his support. A recent draw with Poland provided evidence of that threat; coming close to victory but instead having to settle for a point.
With their title already secure, Martinez may send back several of his star players early, which could play in favor of their hosts who can expect a much more under control performance from them.
Leao remains an effective threat for the visitors, playing an excellent one-two with Joao Felix to set up AC Milan man Joao Felix inside the box but his effort clatters against the upright. A few minutes later, Susic pings in a set piece that Caleta-Car tries to scramble home but his effort is blocked by Budimir before late on Budimir nearly brings home an equaliser but his shot hits an upright; five minutes of injury time remain before Moro receives treatment for his head injury before briefly stopping play before five minutes of injury time is called due to Moro receiving medical care for his injury.
Head-to-Head
Croatia and Albania have met twice previously; their first encounter took place in a friendly game in November 2015 that resulted in a 2-2 tie; then, during a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier in September 2017, both sides once more shared an identical scoreline of 2-2 draw – Albania making history by becoming the first team ever to qualify from qualifying group in any major international tournament using finishing top two as criteria for participation.
The 2024/25 UEFA Nations League season moves on to Poljud Stadium for an encounter that could prove pivotal in both sides’ tournament fates. Croatia may find themselves missing out on reaching the knockout phase after starting off slowly; last week’s shock loss against Scotland only added to Zlatko Dalic’s side’s anxiety levels.
Portugal stands a good chance of finishing first in their group and qualifying for December’s quarterfinal draw, according to Roberto Martinez’s side’s performance thus far. They have won four out of their five matches while losing only once; Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, and Vitinha all provide formidable attacking threats within their ranks.
Albania have also shown considerable development since Sylvinho took over as head coach in January. They made headlines at the 2024 European Championship as an unexpected surprise package and almost progressed to knockout stage before losing out against Spain, Italy and holders Germany in a Group of Death.
Red and Blacks will move one step closer to their ultimate goal of qualifying for a UEFA European Championship final with a victory over Croatia, but losing will all but guarantee they will finish last in their group, so this matchup promises to be intense and nerve-wracking.
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