The last match of what promises to be a sizzling Saturday of World Cup action sees Croatia and Nigeria getting their tournament underway when the two sides collide in Group D of the competition in Kaliningrad.
If there is a group of death then this one is probably it so both teams will likely recognise the need for a positive start to their campaign. Hopefully that will see them go out and look to be positive so we get a good game of football.
Croatia
Although their qualifying campaign was up and down, ropey if you like, I am quite keen on their chances in this tournament. In fairness it is hard not to be with their dream of a midfield and if Mandzukic or whoever plays up top can hold their own then the third placed side of 1998 could be set for another deep run.
I would imagine this Croatian outfit will be pleased to be playing a World Cup opening match against someone other than Brazil. They were who Croatia faced to begin their tournament in 2006 and 2014 and predictably they lost on both occasions. This time they have a winnable match but that comes with pressure – something they will need to show they can handle.
Nigeria
As with most African sides, the Super Eagles could be fantastic or failures and sometimes, as we saw at Wembley Stadium two weeks ago, both in the same 90 minutes. They qualified from a strong looking group in African qualifying but with some key players falling out of first team contention at their clubs I wonder if this tournament is six months too late for them.
Nigeria are a young side. No squad in the World Cup is younger, so against an aging Croatia side it could be that they are doing their best work in the latter stages of the contest. One thing is for sure, with Argentina in their final group match, the Africans will be keen to maximise their first two matches in the group stage.
Team News
Croatia are said to still be uncertain over a number of positions in their line-up which is a good thing in that they have a lot of options but maybe not such a good thing in that things are a little more unsettled than ideal.
Nigeria have Wilfried Ndidi fit despite a recent hamstring issue. The Leicester City man could even start the game. Former Watford striker Odion Ighalo is expected to get the nod through the middle ahead of the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho.
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Betting
I’m happy to put my money where my mouth is with regards to Croatia. I’m sure Nigeria will be game opponents in this match but I can’t go against the class of this Croatia midfield. With the quality they have in there I wouldn’t be surprised to see Croatia open Nigeria up at will at times in this match.
There is enough to give Nigeria encouragement going the other way but in a weird way that might only help Croatia as it will give the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Ivan Rakitic the space to work and do their thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a high scoring match but I certainly like Croatia to win it.
Tips
WON – Back Croatia to beat Nigeria for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with BetBright
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