BETTING GUIDE: Croatia vs Slovenia, match preview, team news and prediction
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 07.06.26. | 17:01
Marking 30 years since their major tournament debut, the consistent overachievers are bound for North America, so they will want to post a morale-boosting win
Finishing preparations for a landmark World Cup campaign, Croatia will host neighbours Slovenia in their last pre-finals friendly on Sunday.
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Marking 30 years since their major tournament debut, the consistent overachievers are bound for North America, so they will want to post a morale-boosting win.
Croatia enters this fixture looking to steady a their ship after enduring back-to-back defeats for the first time since 2023.
Across their last five matches, the Vatreni have showcased significant defensive vulnerability, shipping nine goals while managing to hit the back of the net seven times themselves.
Their home form remains generally formidable, characterized by a dominant 3-1 qualification victory over the Faroe Islands and a 2-1 friendly triumph against Colombia, though they suffered a recent 2-0 shutout against Belgium in Rijeka.
In terms of team news, head coach Zlatko Dalic received massive boosts as Manchester City duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic overcame shin and heel layoffs respectively.
Legendary 40-year-old skipper Luka Modric has remarkably recovered from a serious facial injury to pull the strings in midfield, flanked by veteran Ivan Perisic, while Ante Budimir battles to solve their current center-forward dilemma.
Slovenia crosses the border in a transitional phase under new leadership, having unexpectedly failed to secure a single win during their recent qualification cycle to finish third in their group.
The visitors have struggled for defensive stability, yielding five goals and scoring five across their previous five outings, including a disappointing 1-1 home stalemate against lower-ranked Cyprus.
On the road, their away form has been incredibly erratic, featuring a 1-0 friendly loss to Hungary followed by a thrilling 3-2 victory over Montenegro in Podgorica.
Regarding team news, manager Bostjan Cesar faces a massive blow as star striker Benjamin Sesko is sidelined with a painful shin injury.
Consequently, Swansea City forward Zan Vipotnik is expected to lead the line after hammering home 25 club goals last season. Cesar will lean heavily on the defensive steel of Jaka Bijol and world-class goalkeeper Jan Oblak to keep the hosts at bay.
Historically, the head-to-head records reveal a balanced rivalry this decade, with each nation picking up a home victory during Qatar 2022 qualification before playing out a competitive 1-1 friendly draw.
Key Pointers;
- Croatia scored in five of their last six meetings with Slovenia
- Slovenia have managed two clean sheets in their last 10 games
- Three of Slovenia’s last four matches had both teams scoring
- Both sides scored in four of Croatia’s last five matches
- Croatia failed to score in two of their last 10 outings
Prediction; BTTS
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