Croatia will face Armenia in their last group-stage match of the Euro qualifiers on Tuesday. With a win, they will secure their spot in the tournament next year. However, if Wales loses to Turkey, Croatia could also qualify without playing against Armenia.
In their recent match against Latvia, which they won 2-0 in cold Riga, HRT’s expert commentator Tomislav Ivković analyzed the situation of the national team. The victory was crucial because it meant that both Armenia and Wales drew, putting additional pressure on Croatia. Despite this, Dalić and his team were motivated and controlled the game from start to finish.
The early goals scored by Modrić and Kramarić prevented any nervousness and allowed Croatia to focus on their tactics. They played 4-2-3-1 formation and made sure that Brozović and Modrić did not advance forward at the same time, preventing possible counterattacks. Their performance was fantastic and tactically intelligent throughout the match.
Andrej Kramarić played well as a striker and Joško Guardiol filled in as a left back. Although he is more comfortable playing further upfield with City, Guardiol was able to adapt to his position and contribute effectively to the team’s defense. It is important that they have him available for different positions on the field.
Marco Pašalić and Martin Baturina made their debuts against Latvia and were excellent in their respective roles as a right winger and midfielder respectively. Pašalić has been hailed as a potential addition to a wider list due to his impressive performance, while Baturina showed great promise as he replaced Modrić in the second half of the match.
As they prepare for their final group stage match against Armenia, Croatia will need to play a disciplined game if they want to win. The quality of both teams is not in question; however, it will come down to tactics on the field that will determine who advances next year’s Euro tournament.
Ivković concluded that France is currently being considered as one of the favorites for next year’s Euro tournament due to its strong performances so far.
Overall, Croatia needs to play smartly against Armenia if they want to secure their place in Germany next year’s Euro qualifiers while avoiding any surprises from Wales or other teams in Group C