UEFA Euro 2024 will take place next summer and the road to qualifying for that tournament continues this week with the latest international break. As clubs across the continent hit the pause button on their domestic leagues, plenty of countries will be hoping to edge closer to the finals. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be a fun encounter between Ireland and Greece.
Wales Form GuideThe Dragons are beginning to find their feet on the international stage as they have now qualified for three of the last four major tournaments. Their World Cup adventure didn’t quite go to plan but in equal measure, they’ve looked pretty good at the European level. Their Euro 2016 exploits will always be fondly remembered but now, it’s all about showing growth in a post-Gareth Bale landscape.
Following on from a narrow 1-0 win over Latvia, the Welsh suffered two poor back-to-back defeats at the hands of Armenia and Turkey. They did, however, have the pleasure of playing Latvia again last month, which helped them get back on their feet with a 2-0 victory.
Croatia Form GuideThey may have only made it to the round of 16 at Euro 2021, but on the biggest stage of them all, Croatia have proven themselves to be the ultimate dark horse. They have finished in 2nd place and 3rd place at the last two World Cups and although it must be said that they have an ageing squad, we still think they’ve got enough gas left in the tank for one more big run.
The Croatians only managed a 1-1 draw with Wales before a nice win over Turkey, followed by a win against Netherlands in their Nations League semi-final. They did, however, come up short against Spain in the final, before two nice wins over Latvia and Armenia in qualifying.
Match PredictionWales are going to be entering desperation mode during this international break and with that comes a sense of urgency they often lack. We expect them to pour forward against Croatia with the home crowd behind them, and for better or worse, over 2.5 goals will be scored.
