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Wales and Croatia come into the group D encounter at the Cardiff City Stadium keen to secure three points for different reasons. Wales will see their chances of automatic qualification to the Euro 2024 slip away with anything other than a victory from this match. Meanwhile, Croatia are hoping to overcome an injury crisis while picking up a victory in this match.
Croatia’s lead over Wales is just three points in the group after the first five matches. Both teams are trailing group leaders Turkey by a decent margin.
Wales vs Croatia Predicted Lineups
Contents
European Championship Qualifier Team News
Wales
Wales are fourth in the standings coming into the match. The national team’s hopes of finishing in the automatic qualification spots are hanging by a small thread. Wales have to finish better than third in order to reach the Euro 2024 without a play-off.
Wales made some experimental changes in the recent win over Gibraltar. However, Coach Rob Page is likely to go back to his strongest line-up. Spurs striker Brennan Johnson is the big injury concern for Wales alongside midfielder Aaron Ramsey. In the absence of Ramsey, Ben Davies is likely to lead the team out of the dugout.
After coming up with a midweek brace, Kieffer Moore is likely to be hopeful about retaining his place in the starting line-up.
Wales predicted lineup
Danny Ward, Ben Davies, Chris Mepham, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Connor Roberts, Jordan James, Harry Wilson, Neco Williams, Aaron Ramsey, Brennan Johnson
Croatia
Croatia’s hopes of getting automatic qualification to the European Championship now hangs by a very small margin following the 1-0 loss against Turkey. This defeat has allowed Wales to close the gap down to just three points.
Croatia are struggling with plenty of injuries in the squad. Hoffenheim forward Andrej Kramaric is on the sidelines along with Feyenoord winger Luka Ivanusec. Ivan Perisic, though, is the big absentee for Croatia and he is the long-term injury worry for the national team after picking up a cruciate ligament injury.
Josip Brekalo might not have provided a big performance in the midweek, but he is likely to keep his place in the line-up.
Croatia predicted lineup
Dominik Livakovic, Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo, Josko Gvardiol, Borna Barisic, Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic, Mario Pasalic, Petar Musa, Josip Brekalo
Featured Duel: Mateo Kovacic vs Neco Williams
Mateo Kovacic has been a star performer for Croatia in the middle of the park. The move to Manchester City in the summer has not affected Mateo Kovacic’s international performances even slightly. He has come up with two goals in his three European championship qualifier appearances. Averaging more than 90% in terms of passing success while making an average of 2+ shots per match, Kovacic is crucial to Croatia.
Kovacic goes up against Neco Williams who has been in fine form for the Welsh national team. The 22-year-old Nottingham Forest midfielder has been utilised in a wide range of positions for club and country. Internationally, he has been a solid tackler with an average of two tackles per game and 1.2 interceptions to go along.
The battle between these two players in the middle of the park will be an enticing feature of the match.
Will Luka Modric play against Wales?
Luka Modric might be 38 years old, but he continues to remain integral to Croatia’s plans for the Euro 2024. He has featured in all of the five group matches adding up to more than 400 minutes of action. Despite his age, the Real Madrid midfielder continues to be influential with an almost 90% passing success rate and four key passes per match.
Wales vs Croatia Predicted Lineup – The Final Word
Wales will see a victory as a crucial factor in getting automatic promotion. However, Croatia have plenty of strength in depth to overcome an injury crisis and pick up three points from this game.
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