Croatia vs Gibraltar Prediction: Blazers to be far too hot for minnows

International football can often set up one-sided fixtures and a clash between Croatia, World Cup semi-finalists in 2022, and a Gibraltar team ranked 200th in the world falls into that category and then some.

Bidding to make a fourth straight World Cup, Croatia are top of Group L on 13 points while Gibraltar are bottom with zero, and that is just one of many indicators that the gulf between these two sides is a mammoth one. The Blazers ran riot in the reverse fixture, winning 7-0, and things could be just as bad for Gibraltar in Varazdin on Sunday. Read on for our Croatia vs Gibraltar predictions.

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Bayern Munich defender Josip Stanisic is Croatia’s most significant injury absentee but Mateo Kovacic could make his first appearance of the season.

Manager Zlatko Dalic may use this clash against lesser opposition as an opportunity to give fringe players such as Toni Fruk and Lovro Majer a chance to shine.

There are no injury issues for Gibraltar, who will be looking to Manchester United youngster James Scanlon for inspiration. 

Croatia vs Gibraltar Odds

To say Croatia are favourites would be an understatement, with the Blazers 1/250 to secure three points. The draw is 40/1 and Gibraltar are 50/1.

The visitors are expected to struggle and it is 4/1 that both teams score as a result.

Benfica’s Franjo Ivanovic is the 5/2 favourite to open the scoring.

Croatia -4 handicap @ 4/5

Croatia were held to a 0-0 draw by Czech Republic on Thursday but they should fare better in this clash and may let their frustrations out on Gibraltar.

Having already won the away fixture 7-0, it is hard to see anything other than a Blazers rout playing out on Sunday, especially with the visitors on a seven-game losing run which has seen them ship 20 goals.

Croatia are unbeaten in seven matches, drawing with Portugal and beating France in that run, and having thrashed the Czechs 5-1 and Montenegro 4-0 in their two previous home qualifiers, a comfortable Blazers win is expected.

Andrej Kramaric to score two or more goals @ 7/4

Dalic should ring the changes but he will want to keep some of his key men in as he looks to build chemistry ahead of the World Cup and Andrej Kramaric should keep his place.

The Hoffenheim forward, who can also play in midfield, has scored three goals in his last five starts for club and country and will be keen to find the net after an uncharacteristically quiet outing on Thursday.

Kramaric came off the bench to score twice against Gibraltar in June and should, at the very least, match that total in Varazdin.

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