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It aint a good idea going against Croatia these days ... I didn't post a pick for the first game as I wanted to wait how this team looks against England - and they looked very good for more than 70 minutes of the game.
England was also 1.60 favorite and was lucky to come away with a draw in the first round match (1-1). Croatia took the lead in the 59th minute, but England managed to equalize just three minutes later. It was obvious that Croatia had fitness problems at the end, which was the main reason why they didn't win already against England. I'm aware that this isn't the best Croatian selection as there are many missings. Due to political games between the Croatian football association or in short - mob and the two biggest clubs in Croatia - Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split, we don't see the most talented players of Croatia's football future here.
Just imagine if the likes as Marko Livaja (Inter Milano - loaned out to Sampdoria), Mateo Kovacic (Dinamo Zagreb), Radosevic, Elez, Milicic, Kis, Tomicic (all Hajduk Split), Rebic (Split), Caktas (Osijek), Milicevic (Cibalia) would be part of that team. I suppose Croatia would fight for the title here. We have an extremely talented generation and at least we don't have to fear for the future of our national team.
As for this game against France. I wouldn't go max stakes on France as someone else did here, because a) it's U19 football and b) if Croatia scores first as against England, France will have a very interesting afternoon to get the win. Croatia has just one task - to stay undefeated and to try to secure the upcoming World Championships by passing this group and entering the semi-finals. With that point against England, and Serbia obviously as weakest team of this group (they have also many missing players, but I don't know the exact reasons), a point against obvious group favorite France (won 3-0 against Serbia yesterday) would be like a win. It will come down to England or Croatia to get the 2nd place in this group. With the mentioned fitness problems our national team may have in the 2nd half of the game, I prefer to go with the halftime handicap of +0.25. The AH +0.50 is priced at 1.83, but I prefer the quarter ball handicap here, as it could be that Croatia even takes the lead in the first half. They could already do so against England, in fact, they should have been leading already with 2-0 or 3-0, but missed some clear chances and England's goalie had also some great saves.
To sum up. France with odds around 1.44 isn't the value here, but Croatia sure is, although they aren't with the best available players at this EURO U19 tournament.
Medium stakes 4/10 on Croatia to win AH (+0.25) at halftime.
England was also 1.60 favorite and was lucky to come away with a draw in the first round match (1-1). Croatia took the lead in the 59th minute, but England managed to equalize just three minutes later. It was obvious that Croatia had fitness problems at the end, which was the main reason why they didn't win already against England. I'm aware that this isn't the best Croatian selection as there are many missings. Due to political games between the Croatian football association or in short - mob and the two biggest clubs in Croatia - Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split, we don't see the most talented players of Croatia's football future here.
Just imagine if the likes as Marko Livaja (Inter Milano - loaned out to Sampdoria), Mateo Kovacic (Dinamo Zagreb), Radosevic, Elez, Milicic, Kis, Tomicic (all Hajduk Split), Rebic (Split), Caktas (Osijek), Milicevic (Cibalia) would be part of that team. I suppose Croatia would fight for the title here. We have an extremely talented generation and at least we don't have to fear for the future of our national team.
As for this game against France. I wouldn't go max stakes on France as someone else did here, because a) it's U19 football and b) if Croatia scores first as against England, France will have a very interesting afternoon to get the win. Croatia has just one task - to stay undefeated and to try to secure the upcoming World Championships by passing this group and entering the semi-finals. With that point against England, and Serbia obviously as weakest team of this group (they have also many missing players, but I don't know the exact reasons), a point against obvious group favorite France (won 3-0 against Serbia yesterday) would be like a win. It will come down to England or Croatia to get the 2nd place in this group. With the mentioned fitness problems our national team may have in the 2nd half of the game, I prefer to go with the halftime handicap of +0.25. The AH +0.50 is priced at 1.83, but I prefer the quarter ball handicap here, as it could be that Croatia even takes the lead in the first half. They could already do so against England, in fact, they should have been leading already with 2-0 or 3-0, but missed some clear chances and England's goalie had also some great saves.
To sum up. France with odds around 1.44 isn't the value here, but Croatia sure is, although they aren't with the best available players at this EURO U19 tournament.
Medium stakes 4/10 on Croatia to win AH (+0.25) at halftime.