Croatia vs Czechia Prediction & Picks - World Cup

Prediction published on 6/9/25, 11:41 AM  by Tyler Doty in World Cup Picks

The road to the World Cup continues Monday night with a highly anticipated clash between Croatia and the Czech Republic, kicking off at 8:45 p.m. local time at the Opus Arena. This will be Croatia’s second match in the qualifiers, and they’ll be eager to make a strong statement early in the group. On the other side, the Czech Republic will look to defend its spot at the top and build on a strong start to their campaign.

After their Nations League dream ended in the quarterfinals against France back in March, Croatia is turning the page and shifting full focus to World Cup qualification. They opened their campaign in emphatic fashion on Friday with a 7-0 win over Gibraltar. Now back home, Zlatko Dalić’s squad will be looking to keep the momentum going in front of a home crowd that’s seen them dominate in recent years. In their last 11 home games, Croatia has only lost once: a 1-0 defeat to Turkey while picking up 7 wins and 3 draws. That kind of home form makes the Opus Arena feel like a fortress, and one that could lay the foundation for another successful qualifying run.

The Czech Republic, meanwhile, comes into this match playing with the confidence of a group leader. With three wins already in the group, 8 goals scored, and just 1 conceded, they’ve looked sharp on both ends of the field. Their current unbeaten streak of eight matches adds to the belief, but there’s a catch: their away record tells a different story. The Czechs have won just 2 of their last 10 matches on the road, a stat that could raise questions as they face a battle-tested Croatian team on home turf.