Croatia vs Wales

Euro 2024 qualification Group D begins for Croatia and Wales as they lock horns in a curtain-raising encounter at the Stadion Poljud.

The 2022 World Cup bronze medalists Croatia embark on a mission to qualify for a sixth consecutive European Championship as an independent nation. Playing Wales on matchday one is a seemingly golden opportunity to get their Group D campaign off to a flyer, as they’ve won their last three H2Hs at home, most recently beating them 2-1 in a EURO qualifier in 2019. Before departing for Qatar last November, the ‘Blazers’ had won five consecutive internationals for the first time since a run of six in 2019, highlighting their brimming confidence ahead of the kick-off. What’s even more impressive is that they’ve never lost a European qualifier on home soil since gaining independence from Yugoslavia in 1992 (W27, D8), winning each of the last five in a row.

Unlike their hosts, visiting Wales experienced a nightmarish World Cup last year, going winless in all three group-stage fixtures (D1, L2) while scoring just once. Without the country’s most iconic player Gareth Bale, who called time on his illustrious career earlier this year, Wales will face an uphill task to secure a third consecutive EURO appearance. But it’s not all lost yet, with the ‘Dragons’ only losing five of their last 40 qualification matches for major tournaments (W21, D14) and are unbeaten in nine on the trot ahead of this trip (W6, D3). Considering just EURO qualifiers, Rob Page’s men have only lost three of their 20 games (W12, D5), suggesting a first-ever win over Croatia could be on the cards (D2, L4).