Turkey clashes with Croatia! Catch the Euro 2024 Qualifiers odds series here, featuring our Turkey-Croatia prediction and pick.
The hosts opened their Euro qualifiers with a 2-1 comeback win against Armenia. The Turks overturned Armenia’s lead thanks to goals from Orkun Kokcu and Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu in the 34th and 64th minute, respectively.
The Croatians shared spoils in their campaign opener in a 1-1 deadlock with the Welsh. Croatia took the lead in the 28th minute via Andrej Kramaric, but Nathan Broadhead scored a last-gasp equalizer in the third minute of extra time.
Here are the Turkey-Croatia soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Euro 2024 Qualifiers Odds: Turkey-Croatia Odds
Turkey: +230
Croatia: +125
Draw: +220
Over 2.5 Goals: +128
Under 2.5 Goals: -156
How to Watch Turkey vs. Croatia
TV: DAZN, Fox Sports 1
Stream: DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, Sling Blue, ViX+
Time: 2:45 PM ET / 11:45 AM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Turkey Can Beat Croatia
Turkey is ranked 44 in the FIFA rankings. They are ahead of Mali, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia but trail Ecuador, Scotland, and Norway. They prepare themselves in the Timsah Arena against a formidable opponent in Europe and in the world.
The Crescent-Stars have seen over 2.5 goals in their last five games and have scored at least twice in their last seven home games. They have enjoyed a three-game unbeaten run against the visitors and will look to extend that run. The Turk’s three-game winning run features 2-1 wins over Scotland and the Czech Republic in friendly games last November and previously against Armenia.
After struggling for the past few years and missing the last World Cup in Qatar, Turkey seems ready to take on the competition in Euro 2020 Qualifiers. Their good performance against Armenia is a showing that they have regained signs of life in international football fixtures. In the UEFA Nations League, Turkey ranked first in League C Group 1. They had 13 of the possible 18 points and tallied a 4-1-1 record, overcoming Luxembourg, the Faroe Islands, and Lithuania.
Their next opponent is a much tougher one, but a good result against Croatia would make it a great start for Turkey.
When it comes to team news, Turkey has no injury concerns ahead of this duel. Coach Stefan Kuntz will be relying on the services of Cenk Tosun, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Enes Unal, and Cengiz Under in the forward spots, Orkun Kökçü, İrfan Kahveci, and captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu in the midfield. Çağlar Söyüncü, Merih Demiral, Zeki Çelik, and Ozan Kabak are the main men on the defense. Mert Günok is primed to take the starting goalkeeper position.
Why Croatia Can Beat Turkey
Croatia is ranked as the seventh-best football team in the men’s division. trailing Belgium, England, and the Netherlands while getting ahead of Italy, Portugal, and Spain. This is their second match after a deep run in the 2022 Qatar World Cup which saw them finish in third place. Croatia maintains its incredible feat after finishing second in the 2018 World Cup.
Croatia has seen four of their last six games end in draws, but they recorded wins in the World Cup on penalties. They have not kept a clean sheet in five games and conceded from Wales’ only shot on target on Saturday. Croatia finished second in Group F with a 1-2 record, where Morocco placed first while Belgium and Canada placed third and fourth. Croatia defeated Japan and Brazil in the knock-out stage before falling to would-be World Cup winners Argentina. They met with Morocco again in the battle for third place where they won 2-1 thanks to goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic.
An unconvincing performance against Wales at home in the first round of the Qualifiers ended with a goal conceded in the stoppage time, costing Croatia the win. The team did not play great in this match and they will have to do much better in the upcoming matches if they want to secure their place at Euro 2024. Croatia is also set to face Latvia and Armenia in their section. Croatia hopes to maintain its run of form in the UEFA Nations League, where they finished as first placers in League A Group 1 with a 4-1-1 record. They dominated over Denmark, France, and Austria in their group.,
Meanwhile, Croatia is in good shape ahead of the game against Turkey when it comes to squad fitness. The Checkered Ones have a lot of talent at their disposal, including the likes of Ivan Perišić and Andrej Kramarić in the forward slots, captain Luka Modric, Nikola Vlašić, and Marcelo Brozović in the midfield spots, and vice-captain Domagoj Vida, Josip Juranović, and Borna Barišić in the defending lines. Dominik Livaković is primed to continue his masterful performance as the starting goalkeeper.
Final Turkey-Croatia Prediction & Pick
The Turks are starting to make their mark in football tourneys. However, despite Croatia’s early draw in its first fixture, they certainly are a team that knows how to bounce back in their performances. Backs the visitors to take down the hosts in this game.