Armenia and Croatia will face each other in a crucial match of the European Qualifiers for the 2024 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. The match will be played at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia. The kick-off time is 9:45 PM local time (6:15 PM IST).
Armenia’s impressive run in Group B
Armenia are currently leading Group B with 13 points from six matches. They have won four games, drawn one and lost one. They have scored 12 goals and conceded seven. Their only defeat came against Germany in a 6-0 thrashing on September 5. However, they bounced back with a 1-0 win over Iceland on September 8, thanks to a late goal by Tigran Barseghyan.
Armenia have shown great resilience and determination under their coach Joaquin Caparros, who took charge in March 2021. They have beaten Romania, North Macedonia and Liechtenstein in their previous matches. They have also held Croatia to a 1-1 draw in Zagreb on June 6, with Wbeymar Angulo scoring a stunning equalizer in the 72nd minute.
Armenia have a balanced squad with experienced players like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Varazdat Haroyan and Gevorg Ghazaryan. They also have some young talents like Khoren Bayramyan, Edgar Babayan and Norberto Briasco. They will be hoping to continue their impressive run and secure their first ever qualification for the World Cup.
Croatia’s shaky form in Group B
Croatia are currently second in Group B with 10 points from five matches. They have won three games, drawn one and lost one. They have scored nine goals and conceded five. Their only defeat came against Slovenia in a 1-0 loss on March 24. They have beaten Cyprus, Malta and Slovakia in their previous matches. They have also drawn with Armenia in Zagreb on June 6.
Croatia are the reigning World Cup runners-up, having reached the final in 2018. However, they have not been able to replicate their form and consistency under their coach Zlatko Dalic, who has been in charge since October 2017. They have struggled with injuries, retirements and lack of cohesion in their squad.
Croatia have a star-studded squad with players like Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic and Ante Rebic. They also have some promising youngsters like Nikola Vlasic, Josip Brekalo and Bruno Petkovic. They will be aiming to improve their performance and secure their sixth consecutive qualification for the World Cup.
Dream11 Team Prediction for Armenia vs Croatia
Here is the Dream11 team prediction for the match between Armenia and Croatia:
Goalkeeper: David Yurchenko (ARM)
Defenders: Domagoj Vida (CRO), Dejan Lovren (CRO), Varazdat Haroyan (ARM), Hovhannes Hambardzumyan (ARM)
Midfielders: Luka Modric (CRO), Mateo Kovacic (CRO), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (ARM), Tigran Barseghyan (ARM)
Forwards: Ivan Perisic (CRO), Norberto Briasco (ARM)
Captain: Ivan Perisic (CRO)
Vice-Captain: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (ARM)
Match Prediction for Armenia vs Croatia
The match between Armenia and Croatia is expected to be a close and competitive one. Both teams have quality players and are motivated to win the match. However, Croatia have an edge over Armenia in terms of experience, talent and pedigree. They also have a better head-to-head record against Armenia, having won three and drawn one of their four previous meetings.
Therefore, we predict that Croatia will win the match by a narrow margin of 2-1.
