UEFA Euro Qualifiers: Croatia vs Turkey Odds, Preview
Winner Goes Top of Group D
Croatia on Seven-Match Unbeaten Run
With three Euro 2024 qualifying matches left, Croatia and Turkey are level on 10 points in Group D. With a home win vs. Turkey on Thursday, Croatia would be one step closer to a sixth straight appearance at the European championships. Meanwhile, Turkey are going for their first win on Croatian soil after some September struggles. We’ll preview the Croatia vs Turkey odds with first place in the group on the line.
âš½ Croatia vs Turkey âš½
Date & Time: Location: Opus Arena, Osijek, Croatia
Head-to-Head:
Croatia has hosted Turkey on three previous occasions, and each of those matches has finished in draws. These teams met on the UEFA Euro qualifiers schedule back in March, and Mateo Kovacic scored twice as Croatia won 2-0 in Bursa, Turkey. Croatia are 4-5-2 vs. Turkey all-time.
Croatia Unbeaten in Group D
Croatia is on top of UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group D despite playing one game fewer than every other team so far. They’re 3-1-0 and have only conceded one goal in a 1-1 draw to Wales back in March. Croatia won both matches in September, outsourcing their opponents 6-0. Croatia picked up a 5-0 win in Rijeka over Latvia as Bruno Petkovic scored twice.
Andrej Kramaric also got on the scoresheet, and he scored the game’s only goal a few days later at Armenia. The UEFA Euro qualifiers stats show that Kramaric is Croatia’s leading scorer, with three goals in four matches. However, he’s not in the squad for the matches vs. Turkey and Wales due to an injury. Luka Ivanusec, Ivan Perisic, and Mislav Orsic are also out.
Meanwhile, Marko Livaja retired internationally just before this pair of matches. The usual midfield suspects are Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, and Marcelo Brozovic in the squad here. Croatia has been one of the most consistent national teams under Zlatko Dalic and finished in third place at last year’s World Cup. They were also UEFA Nations League finalists in June. Here, the Croatia vs Turkey odds price the hosts as -145 favorites.
Montella Named New Turkey Coach
Last month, Turkey had a qualifying match vs. Armenia and a friendly vs. Japan. Turkey was previously 3-0 vs. Armenia all-time but could only manage a 1-1 draw. Following the 4-2 loss to Japan, the Turkish Football Federation dismissed coach Stefan Kuntz. Kuntz was at the helm for two years, and now Italian Vincenzo Montella is at the helm. On Thursday, he’ll be thrown into the fire with one of the toughest UEFA Euro qualifiers games at CroatiaUEFA Euro qualifiers games at Croatia on Thursday.
Montella inherits a Turkey side that has qualified for the last two European championships. They’re currently on course to qualify for a third straight as they’re in second place in Group D, with a 3-1-1 record. Turkey’s only loss in qualifiers came vs. Croatia back in March. Eight different Turkey players are currently level on one goal apiece, but Orkun Kokcu leads the way with three goal contributions.
For this pair of qualifiers at Croatia and vs. Latvia, Enes Unal, Arda Guler, Caglar Soyuncu, and Ozan Kabak are all out injured. Expect winger Cengiz Under and midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu to play critical roles under Montella. A win here would bring Turkey one giant leap closer to qualification, but let’s see what the odds have to say about their chances.
Match Analysis & Odds
Turkey has an implied 18.7 chance of winning this match, at +435 moneyline odds. Hosts Croatia are the clear favorites at -145, and bettors can find a draw at +265. Remember that every previous meeting between the two sides on Croatian soil has finished level. The Croatia vs Turkey odds also list Croatia at -0.5, -1 at -110, and Turkey at +0.5, +1 at -115.
Both teams have their fair share of injuries, but Croatia’s midfield can control the game’s pace here. In their last meeting, Croatia completed over 100 more passes than Turkey did, and the Vatreni figure to have more of the ball on Thursday. With Kramaric out, we could see Zlatko Dalic give Bruno Petkovic or Petar Musa an opportunity upfront.
Over two goals currently display -150 odds, but none of the five previous meetings have finished with three or more. Notably, Croatia has kept three straight clean sheets.
For UEFA Euro Cup betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
