Denmark can secure a place in the finals of the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League when they renew hostilities with Croatia at the Maksimir Stadium on Thursday with kickoff at 9:45 pm.
In their most recent Nations League match, Croatia scored an upset 1-0 win over France to make a dent in Les Bleus’ hopes of winning the crown.
A fifth-minute penalty from Luka Modric settled it, with Didier Deschamps’s reigning champions flattering to deceive in the Nations League and now guaranteed to lose their grip on the crown.
Croatia has every right to believe that a coveted spot in the next stage could be theirs, as Zlatko Dalic’s men picked up seven points from 12 on offer in June. This fired them to second in the standings, two points behind Denmark and three clear of Austria, whom they face on September 25.
Denmark’s Nations League fate will be decided on Thursday when they host Germany. Despite being paired with the current World Cup champions and runners-up from 2018, Kasper Hjulmand’s resilient crop has gone about its business with professionalism and aplomb.
Taking nine points from their opening four games in League A Group 1, Denmark ended a positive June period with a 2-0 victory over Austria during their most recent encounter. Jonas Wind and Andreas Skov Olsen struck inside the opening 45 minutes.
Croatia vs. Denmark Head to Head
Both sides have two games against each other, with the hosts taking one win while the visitors are still winless. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- France 0-1 Croatia
- Denmark 0-1 Croatia
- Croatia 1-1 France
- Croatia 0-3 Austria
Away
- Denmark 2-0 Austria
- Denmark 0-1 Croatia
- Austria 1-2 Denmark
- France 1-2 Denmark
Croatia Team News
Dalic has called upon most of his big-hitters for September’s fixtures, although there are some notable absentees from June’s squad. Southampton’s new boy Duje Caleta-Car failed to make the squad amid his lack of Premier League action. At the same time, fellow defender Sime Vrsaljko retired from international duty at the end of August.
Denmark Team News
After recovering from a muscle tear, Denmark forward Yussuf Poulsen is set to be called up for the team’s friendly against Germany. Hjulmand said he wasn’t optimistic about Eintracht Frankfurt playmaker Jesper Lindstrom’s availability for the game due to illness.
Prediction and Odds
Denmark and the Netherlands had three months without international action, and their June encounter was extremely close.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Goals Under 2.5
