The European World Cup qualifiers end this week and on the 14th of November we have a meeting between Croatia and Russia at the Stadion Poljud, Split.
This a massive match in Group H as the hosts begin the game in second place on 22 points and Russia sit top of the group on 22 points. Only the winner of the group automatically qualifies for the 2022 World Cup.
👊 An impressive night at Malta 🇲🇹🇭🇷#BeProud #Croatia #MLTCRO #WCQ #Vatreni❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/NKgPDd9v5o— HNS (@HNS_CFF) November 11, 2021
👊 An impressive night at Malta 🇲🇹🇭🇷#BeProud #Croatia #MLTCRO #WCQ #Vatreni❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/NKgPDd9v5o
Croatia come into the match on the back of a comfortable 7-1 win in Malta on Thursday night. They opened a 4-1 lead at half-time and added 3 goals in the second half to take maximum points.
It was an important victory for Croatia who dropped points in their previous World Cup qualifying match at home against Slovakia. The game ended 2-0 and Croatia were forced to come from behind twice in the match.
However, Croatia have been difficult to beat in recent games and they are undefeated in each of their last 6 matches, all of which have come in World Cup qualifying. They have recorded 5 wins in those 6 games, beating Slovenia at home plus both Slovakia and Cyprus away.
Croatia tend to score plenty of goals when playing at home in World Cup qualifying fixtures and they have scored 2 or more goals in 4 of their last 5 on home soil. Croatia are a tough team to beat at home in World Cup qualifying and they are on a run of 11 matches without defeat.
Russia make the trip to Split having defeated Cyprus 6-0 at home on Thursday night. The score was only 1-0 at half-time but Russia took the visitors apart in the second half, scoring 5 unanswered goals to take maximum points.
That result means Russia have won their last 5 games, all of which have come in World Cup qualifying.
Russia are undefeated in their last 6 matches and have lost only one of their last 6 away World Cup qualifying fixtures.
Trends show Russia have been scoring plenty of goals in away World Cup qualifying games and they have scored 2 or more goals in 4 of their last 6 on the road. However, they have kept just one clean sheet in their last 5 away World Cup qualifying matches.
Team news and Croatia do not have any suspensions to worry about for this game. The likes of Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović, Mario Pašalić, Ivan Perišić, and Andrej Kramarić should all start.
Russia also have no suspension concerns and their starting XI should include Aleksei Miranchuk, Aleksandr Yerokhin, Aleksandr Golovin, and Fyodor Smolov.
Croatia need to win and Russia need a draw to qualify for the World Cup. That means the onus is on Croatia to attack and we should see goals in this game, with both teams scoring. Russia have proved difficult to beat in this group, losing only once and could pick up the point they need to qualify automatically for the 2022 World Cup, leaving Croatia with the play offs.