Croatia vs Latvia Prediction & Betting Tips (8 September)

Croatia and Latvia meet on Friday, September 8, at 7:45 pm, at the HNK Rijeka Stadium, in Rijeka, in a game for the fifth round of group D, qualifying for the 2024 European Championship, in Germany. Group D is led by Turkey with nine points, followed by Armenia with six. In third place is Croatia, with four points, the same as Wales, which occupies fifth place. Last is Latvia, with zero points. Croatia started qualifying with a 1-1 draw at home against Wales, to then win 2-0 away from Turkey. In June, they beat the Netherlands, by 4-2, in the semi-finals of the League of Nations, to then lose in the final, against Spain, through penalty kicks, after a goalless draw at the end of regulation time.

In the last ten games, they lost only one of them, having added three wins and six draws. Latvia, still without any victory in this qualification, reaches the fifth round with three defeats, all by the smallest margin: against Wales 1-0, Turkey 2-3, and Armenia 2-1. The Baltic team have lost the last four games, and five of the last ten two wins, three draws, but in the away condition they have won four of the last ten games, despite coming from three consecutive defeats in that condition. In the history of clashes between the two teams, Croatia won all four clashes between the two, three of them by a margin of two goals.

Within the Croatian group, there is the absence of midfielder, Sucic (Red Bull Salzburg, 4 sel) who remains injured like the doorman Kalinic (19 caps). Also absent, Baturina (Dinamo Zagreb) and Beljo (Ausburg) play with the U21s. Present during the Final-4, Livaja (4 goals in 21 caps) was not recalled while Ante Budimir (Osasuna, 17 selections) has not set foot in selection since the world, same case for Colak (Parma, 3 wrappers). On the other hand, we find the strong men of the last five years of the selection, Perisic (33 goals in 127 caps), Modric (Real Madrid, 24 pawns in 166 sel), the new player of Al-Nassr, Brozovic (7 goals in 87 caps) without forgetting the former crack of Rennes, Majer (Wolfsburg, 4 achievements in 22 appearances). Defensively, we list the selection of Gvardiol (transferred to Manchester City this summer), the centenary Vida (101 caps), Stanisic (on loan from Bayern Munich to Bayer Leverkusen) without forgetting Juranovic (31 caps, Union Berlin). Kramaric (24 pawns in 85 selections) and Petkovic (8 goals in 31 caps) are present in the offensive sector.

On the other side of the median, two major players of the selection could not respond positively to the call. In this case, striker Gutkovskis (11 goals in 43 caps) and defender Jurkovskis (37 caps), both injured. Summoned in June and March, Melniks (not the slightest selection), Varslavans (6 selections), Zjuzins (9 goals in 60 selections), Birka (not the slightest appearance), Stuglis (10 selections) then the substitute goalkeeper Beks are all stayed home for this course. To reassure Latvian fans, note the presence of executives: Dubra (3 goals in 59 caps), Savalnieks (51 caps), the Ikaunieks brothers: Janis (12 pawns in 50 caps) and Davis (6 achievements in 43 appearances) without forgetting Ciganiks (43 selections) or the attackers, Uldrikis (Cambuur, 7 achievements in 41 selections) and Krollis (Spezia).