Croatia can secure their spot in the knockout stage with a second straight victory Friday afternoon. The Croatians beat Turkey 1-0 to go tied with Spain atop Group D. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic could keep their tournament hopes alive as long as they avoid a loss in this upcoming match. Read on as we take a look at everything you’ll need to know heading into this fixture.
For more on Euro 2016, check out our complete previews for Portugal vs. Austria and Spain vs. Turkey.
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Czech Republic vs. Croatia Preview
Where: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard – Saint-Etienne, France
When: Friday, June 17, 2016, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Czech Republic +335 vs. Croatia -140, tie +235; total 2.0 – view all Euro 2016 lines
Betting on the Czech Republic (+335)
The Czech Republic lost their first match to Spain by just one goal from Gerard Pique in the 87th minute of the match. It was a waste of a fine defensive effort, in which the Czechs defended 17 shots, four of which were on target.
The Czechs do have an excellent goalie at the last line of defense—Petr Cech. He’ll be tough to beat especially if the backline stays tough against a cohesive Croatian side.
Narodak may go for a different look in the frontline after David Lafata couldn’t find the back of the net against Spain. This is where 26-year-old Tomas Necid may factor in with already 11 international goals in as many caps (40) as the 34-year-old Lafata already does.
The Czech Republic have lost back-to-back matches heading into this fixture.
Betting on Croatia (-140)
Croatia had a very tight 1-0 victory last time out against Turkey, but they have more to offer than just a single goal. Mario Mandzukic should be back to lead the attacking line, while last game’s hero, Luka Modric, should be back to take care of business from midfield.
Modric scored Croatia’s lone goal in their Euro 2016 campaign late in the first half against Turkey. It was his first goal in international competition this season. He isn’t Croatia’s lone weapon, though. Others like Mandzukic and Ivan Rakitic are all viable scorers when given the opportunity.
Croatia should be able to dominate this matchup with their talented midfield. They’ll be very confident to do so after seeing Spain dominate so much against the Czech Republic. The Czechs conceded possession for 72 percent of the match and allowed the Spaniards to complete 89 percent of their passes.
Croatia have won four of their last five matches, and drew the other.
Writer’s Prediction
The Czech Republic showcase some tight defense as they force a scoreless tie (+235).
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