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Europa League: Scotland vs Croatia
Kickoff Time: 2024-11-16 03:45(HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Scotland drew 0-0 at home against Portugal in the last match, leaving them at the bottom of their group with one draw and three losses after four rounds of the UEFA Nations League, which is quite disappointing. Previously, the Scotland national team announced their squad for the UEFA Nations League in November, including players like Andrew Robertson, Scott McTominay, John McGinn, and Billy Gilmour. Their overall strength should not be underestimated. Scotland primarily plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation, focusing on a defensive counter-attacking style. They mainly restrict their opponents’ attacks through tight defense and midfield interceptions, while their offensive strategy often involves quick, direct counter-attacks. It is worth noting that although Scotland has yet to win a match in the group stage, they have managed to score in three out of four matches, showcasing their offensive capabilities.
Croatia drew 3-3 away against Poland in the last match and currently ranks second in their group with two wins, one draw, and one loss, showing a relatively strong performance. In the November squad announcement for the UEFA Nations League, players such as Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic, and Josko Gvardiol were all included, allowing the team to continue fielding a strong lineup. It must be said that the UEFA Nations League has provided an opportunity for Croatia, who are in a transitional phase, to catch their breath. Under the leadership of veterans like Modric and Perisic, their performance has improved. However, Croatia’s away games remain a significant weakness, as they have only achieved one draw and one loss in their last two away matches in the UEFA Nations League, showing a clear disparity compared to their strong home performances.
In the first leg, due to Che Adams’ goal being ruled out in stoppage time, Croatia narrowly won 2-1 at home against Scotland. There is no doubt that Croatia is stronger and performs better than Scotland. However, in the first leg, both teams were evenly matched on the field, and Croatia’s victory had a degree of luck involved, along with their generally mediocre away performance. Given these factors, it would not be surprising to see Scotland, playing at home, manage to secure some points in this match.
Scotland’s Last 5 Games: DLLLL
24-10-16 Scotland 0-0 Portugal
24-10-13 Croatia 2-1 Scotland
24-09-09 Portugal 2-1 Scotland
24-09-06 Scotland 2-3 Poland
24-06-24 Scotland 0-1 Hungary
Croatia’s Last 5 Games: DWWLD
24-10-16 Poland 3-3 Croatia
24-10-13 Croatia 2-1 Scotland
24-09-09 Croatia 1-0 Poland
24-09-06 Portugal 2-1 Croatia
24-06-25 Croatia 1-1 Italy
Head To Head Record:
24-10-13 Croatia 2-1 Scotland
21-06-23 Croatia 3-1 Scotland
13-10-16 Scotland 2-0 Croatia
13-06-08 Croatia 0-1 Scotland
08-03-27 Scotland 1-1 Croatia
Prediction: Scotland to win or Draw