Croatia – Denmark

In the group leaders’ match in Zagreb, the Croats will not be able to beat the Danes again

One of the main fixtures in the fourth round of the Nations League will see the teams ranked among FIFA's top 15 teams in the world. The intrigue ahead of the match at the Maximir is fuelled by the fact that Croatia and Denmark are direct contenders to reach the Final Four. Before the start of the quartet, bookmakers were of the opinion that France were the clear front-runners, but Didier Deschamps' side have decided to somehow skip the Nations League and risk relegation to League B altogether after picking up just two points following four rounds of play. As the reigning World Vice-Champion, Croatia have been through a lot in the last few years. A disappointing UEFA EURO 2021 looked like the start of a generational change in Croatian football, but in qualifying for the next World Cup, Modric and company showed grit and took the top spot in their group. Last time they qualified for the Nations League, they beat Sweden to stay in Liga A. In the current fixture, they have picked up four points in their two games against France and defeated the very strong Danes in Copenhagen. Dalić's side are sitting in second place, two points adrift of the table leaders. The Danish team itself has featured in the UEFA European Championship semi-finals, where they lost to England, and then crushed everyone and everything in the qualifying tournament for the World Cup. Hjulmand's side underlined their seriousness in the Nations League in their opening game, which saw them beat the clear favourites in the group with a 2-1 win at the Stade de France. Denmark defeated Austria in two more games, allowing only the aforementioned slip-up with the Croatians at home. The Scandinavian side are now deservedly top of the quartet and one of the best national teams on the continent. Despite the slight tilt of the odds towards the home side, home-field advantage is unlikely to play a major role in Zagreb. Denmark are equally adept at controlling the ball and playing on the counterattack. The visitors will not lose a second time to Croatia.