France Faces Uphill Battle Against Croatia in UEFA Nations League Quarter-Final
France must overcome a two-goal deficit when they host Croatia in the second leg of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie on Sunday evening. The French side suffered a surprising 2-0 defeat in Split on Thursday, with goals from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic leaving Didier Deschamps’ star-studded squad with a significant challenge to reach the semi-finals.
The loss marks France’s second consecutive defeat against Croatia, highlighting the mountainous task ahead as they prepare to face Zlatko Dalić’s experienced team in Saint-Denis. Thursday’s victory ended Croatia’s three-game winless streak, but they haven’t secured an away win since before Euro 2024, setting the stage for a tense encounter.
Head-to-Head Record and Current Form
Recent encounters between the two sides have been closely contested, with Croatia holding the upper hand in recent meetings. France’s recent form has been mixed, with defeats against Croatia and a draw against Israel, while Croatia’s performances have been inconsistent, including a 1-1 draw with Portugal and a 1-0 loss to Scotland.
Team News and Predicted Lineups
Liverpool supporters were initially concerned about Ibrahima Konaté’s fitness after he was substituted at half-time in the first leg. However, Deschamps clarified that the change was tactical due to Konaté’s underwhelming performance. Dayot Upamecano is expected to replace him in the starting lineup, while Deschamps may shift from the 4-3-1-2 formation that failed to deliver in Split to a more attacking 4-2-3-1 setup. Michael Olise could earn a recall to the starting XI, adding creativity to France’s attack.
France Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, T. Hernandez; Tchouaméni, Camavinga; Dembélé, Olise, Mbappé; Kolo Muani.
For Croatia, Ivan Perisic was the standout performer in the first leg, showcasing exceptional energy and contributing both a goal and an assist. Alongside veterans Luka Modrić and Andrej Kramarić, Perisic is expected to start again. Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, who was outstanding in the first leg, will need to replicate his performance to protect Croatia’s two-goal advantage.
Croatia Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Livaković; Stanišić, Šutalo, aleta-Car, Gvardiol; Modrić, Kovačić; Perišić, Baturina, Kramarić; Budimir.
Prediction
Despite Croatia’s two-goal lead, France remain strong favourites heading into Sunday’s clash. Playing in front of their home crowd, Les Bleus are expected to display greater attacking intent and have the quality to punish an ageing Croatia side, who may struggle with fatigue after the first leg.
Prediction: France 3-0 Croatia (AET)
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