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This is a huge encounter. Croatia is desperate for maximum points. They’ve struggled defensively in Euro 2024. Only Scotland have conceded more.
Zlatko Dalic and his men certainly felt hard done by in their meeting with Spain. Luis de la Fuente’s side ran out as 3-0 winners. Statistically, Croatia had more possession, five more shots and a higher xG figure. A missed penalty late on summed it up perfectly.
Things went from bad to worse against Albania. Qazim Laci’s header opened the scoring. Croatia upped the ante after the break. A quick-fire double turned the game on its head. Klaus Gjasula went from zero to hero. His last-minute equaliser made the Albanian fans go wild.
This encounter is massive. Croatia must earn three points. They’ve been in similar positions before. It’ll be an intriguing clash between two fantastic footballing nations.
Italy was stunned in their opening encounter. Nedim Bajrami found the back of the net after just 23 seconds, giving Albania a dream start. Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella scored early in the first half as the Italians earned three hard-fought points.
Luciano Spalleti’s men looked helpless in their clash with Spain. Gli Azzurri managed just four shots and a lowly 0.16xG. Something was off in that defeat. The Spaniards were dominant throughout and had opportunities to score multiple times. La Roja’s tempo was unmatched. Improvement will be vital in their final group-stage match.
These nations haven’t met since 2015 in the Euro Qualifiers. It ended 1-1 that day. There have been five meetings since 2002. Italy hasn’t beaten Croatia since 1942. That’ll give Croatia confidence, although it’s been ages since the last encounter.
Croatia will look to control possession. We know just how impressive their midfield trio is. I expect the Italians to sit deep and defend with numbers. They’re in the driving seat heading into this clash. They’ll be delighted with a point.
Creating chances hasn’t been an issue for Dalic’s men. Croatia have racked up 38 shots in their opening two matches with eight big chances. Their finishing must improve as they take on Spalleti’s side.
With international encounters played far less than club football, statistics and form are rarely consistent. Italy hasn’t beaten Croatia since 1942, that’ll provide confidence. Earning three points is vital, or they could be taking an early bath.
Here are three interesting stats ahead of this Euro 2024 match between Croatia vs Italy.
I’ve taken a look through the markets ahead of this encounter. I expect Croatia to take the game to Italy. They’ve been shooting consistently so far this tournament. With plenty on the line, cards are likely. Combining the two seems a sensible angle to consider.
Croatia must attack, and with purpose. Zlatko Dalic’s men accumulated 16 shots in their defeat against Spain and a whopping 22 when they clashed with Albania. I’m confident they can manage Over 9.5 Shots on Monday night at the Red Bull Arena.
When Italy faced Albania, they conceded eight shots. Spain racked up 20 in that encounter. I’m not sure Croatia will reach the magical 20, but 10 is well within reach.
Violence. Let’s see some violence. The second part of this bet builder selection is Over 3.5 Cards. Danny Makkelie is the man in the middle for this clash. He should be kept busy.
The Dutch referee has taken charge of one game in Euro 2024. He dished out four cards between Germany vs Hungary. Let’s hope he does the same once again.
Italy’s matches so far have nine cards in total, four against Albania and five in their meeting with Spain. Croatia hasn’t been involved in too much violence so far. Just four cards have arrived in their outings.
Croatia Over 9.5 Shots & Over 3.5 Match Cards is my selection in this encounter. Both angles appeal in a vital match. The price is 2.00 (1/1).
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