Preview: Croatia vs Scotland
As Croatia and Scotland prepare to clash at Hampden Park, both teams strive for a decisive victory amid tense Group D dynamics, with Croatia leaning on Ivan Perisic's spark and Scotland banking on their resilient defense.
Croatia
```htmlCroatia picked up a point in Friday's 1-1 draw against Czech Republic on Match Day 2. After a few chances at both ends, Czech Republic went ahead through Patrik Schick, who converted a penalty in the 37th minute after Dejan Lovren's handball.
Schick sent the goalkeeper the wrong way for his third goal of the tournament. Moments later, AC Milan’s Ante Rebic missed a clear-cut chance for Croatia, failing to hit the target after a through ball left him free to shoot from the right side.
The Croatians eventually found the equalizer through the brilliance of Ivan Perisic just minutes after the break. Perisic cut in from the left and aligned his body for a fine shot, beating Czech Republic’s goalkeeper, Tomas Vaclik.
The Blazers return on Match Day 3 with a form of WWDLLD. Group D remains very open, and coach Zlatko Dalić stays optimistic about his side’s chances of qualifying for the next round. Croatia is currently in 3rd place with one point and a goal difference of -1.
Dalić has experimented with several attacking formations recently, but a 4-3-3 seems probable for Match Day 3. He will be relying more on Ivan Perisic, especially since Luka Modric has yet to find his best form.
```Scotland
Meanwhile, Scotland did a fine job of keeping the Three Lions caged when both sides met on Friday evening at Wembley on Match Day 2. The game, which ended in a goalless draw, saw both sides walk away with a point—the very first for Scotland, having lost their opening game against Czech Republic, 2-0 on Match Day 1.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between for both sides, but the Tartan Army thwarted England’s attempts to stage any onslaught against their defense throughout the game. As expected, Scotland received more praise than England after the game, as onlookers had written them off when comparing player for player.
The point leaves Scotland between the knockout stage and the exit door. Steve Clarke must find a way to inspire his side to victory on Match Day 3 in order to stand any chance of qualifying for the next round.
Clarke adopted a 3-5-2 formation against England and picked up his first point. Hence, the Tartan Army could appear in the same shape once again on Tuesday, with Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams leading the attack as a duo.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.