In a game with little opportunities, Croatia opened their 2022 World Cup campaign with a point by drawing 0-0 with Morocco. With a victory in this one, the 2018 World Cup finalists can clinch their spot in the Round of 16, but it won't guarantee it.
To Win Match
Croatia 11/10 | Draw 23/10 | Canada 23/10
Croatia gave more than a decent account on Wednesday in their Group F opener, despite being held to a goalless draw against African giants, Morocco. The 2018 World Cup runners-up dominated most of the play and didn’t have their goalkeeper truly tested. Being two points behind table-toppers, Belgium, Croatia still have a great chance of progressing should they claim maximum points against Canada. The midfield engine of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic have experience playing together and should make their experience felt against an inexperienced Canadian outfit. Many argue that this team has already come of age, reaching their pinnacle four years ago in Russia, however, there couldn’t be a better time to silence their critics than at the biggest stage once more. Ivan Perisic seems like he’s been around forever, but at just 33 years of age, he has shown for Tottenham that he still has plenty of dynamism and athleticism in his legs. If the Blazers show half of their capabilities in this tie, with all due respect to Canada, it could get quite ugly as Croatia go in search of proving a point and reminding the world that they’re still among the elite group of the pack.
Thousands of spectators inside Ahmad bin Ali Stadium cheered on Canada, supporting John Herdman’s team with a loud and vibrant cheer. And even though Canada lost their opening match of this World Cup, their supporters gave them a well-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of the match wherein they did just about everything except find the back of the net. Despite having conjured up 22 efforts (only two teams attempted more in the tournament during the opening round of fixtures), only one was on target (Yannick Carrasco’s handball led to Davies’ meek penalty being saved by Thibaut Courtois). The North American nation had Belgium on the run – but succumbed to a 1 nil loss thanks to a moment of brilliance, which came with Batshuayi’s goal. To their great credit, Canada didn’t back down even after this defeat, but their key striker David, who has made a name for himself with Lille, was unable to take advantage of a clear-cut opportunity in the second half. However, this performance offers Canada both pride and hope.
Verdict: Canada to win (11/10)
On Wednesday, there were hints that Canada could pose a threat to teams offensively and I fancy them to find the back of the net in this one. They are up against a new look Croatian outfit – who simply don’t possess the quality they had at the previous edition of the tournament.
