France travel to Split to take on Croatia in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final tie on Thursday evening, and our preview has the latest team news and confirmed lineups ahead of the action.
Croatia vs France Nations League Preview
For the first time in 2025, the Croatian and French national teams take to the field as they meet in Split for the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final tie on Thursday evening. The return leg takes place at the Stade de France on Sunday.
Croatia booked their spot in the Nations League finals thanks to a second-place finish in their League A group. Portugal topped the group by a clear six points, while Scotland finished third and Poland were fourth.
France, meanwhile, won Group A2 with a record of four wins, a draw and one loss, an identical record to second place Italy, however Didier Deschamps’ side boasted a better goal difference. Belgium and Israel were also in the group.
Les Bleus ont quitté Clairefontaine et sont arrivés en Croatie ! 📍 pic.twitter.com/LsOSa38flB
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) March 19, 2025
Heading into this one, Zlatko Dalic’s side are without a win in three successive competitive outings. Last time out, they held Cristiano Ronaldo and co. of Portugal to a 1-1 draw, with a 1-0 loss to Scotland and a 3-3 draw against Poland preceding that one.
Les Bleus, as ever, head into their first fixture of the year in strong form, having gone unbeaten in five straight matches. This run includes two wins over Belgium, a win and a draw against Israel and, most recently, a 3-1 victory over Italy.
Their recent record against Croatia isn’t the best however, as they are winless across their last two meetings. Vatreni claimed a 1-0 victory when the pair last met in June 2022, where veteran midfielder Luka Modric netted the sole goal from the spot. Of course, they also faced off in the 2018 World Cup final, in which the French prevailed 4-2.
Croatia Team News
Typically involved in Dalic’s squad, Luka Sucic, Lovro Majer and Igor Matanovic miss out on March’s camp through injury, along with Dinamo Zagreb striker Bruno Petkovic, who has only recently returned from a hip problem.
Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol is almost certain to start in defence, with other key stars likely to start including Mateo Kovacic, Modric, Ivan Perisic, Mario Pasalic and Andrej Kramaric.
France Team News
As for the French, Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram has withdrawn from the squad with an ankle issue.
Regardless, Deschamps has plenty of options to choose from when selecting his attacking players. Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue are all available.
Croatia vs France Confirmed Lineups
Croatia Confirmed Lineup:
Livakovic; Stanisic, Caleta-Car, Sutalo, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; Perisic, Baturina, Kramaric; Budimir
France Confirmed Lineup:
Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Saliba, Digne; Guendouzi, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele; Kolo Muani, Mbappe
Croatia vs France Prediction
The UK’s best football betting sites see the visiting French side as 11/10 favourites heading into Thursday’s first leg, while a draw is rated at around 12/5 and a Croatian victory is priced at around 13/5.
Yes, Croatia are unbeaten in two against France, but based on recent form and the sheer quality throughout Deschamps’ squad, we at SportsCasting simply cannot see anything other than a comfortable win for the visitors in this one.
We’re backing Mbappe, Olise and Dembele to combine and cause mayhem for the hosts’ backline, with PSG duo Barcola and Doue also available to make an impact. Expect a tough night for Modric and co.
Prediction: Croatia 0-3 France
