Croatia 2–1 Czech Republic

Third place on the line in Osijek

Croatia are third in League A Group A3 with three points from five matches. Czechia are fourth without a point. A win or draw at Opus Arena on Sunday keeps Croatia third. A Czechia win takes them above Croatia.

UEFA’s Group A3 scenarios

Losing runs in the Nations League

Both teams come into this fixture after a defeat in the competition. Croatia have lost four Nations League matches in a row, while Czechia’s run stands at five consecutive defeats.

Across their five matches in this competition, Croatia have scored five goals and conceded 16. Czechia have scored twice and let in 12. Neither side has kept a clean sheet in the Nations League so far.

Croatia hold the recent edge

The head-to-head record offers Croatia encouragement: they are unbeaten in the last five meetings, with two wins and three draws, while Czechia have not won any of them. Croatia also took the latest encounter, winning 2-1 in the Nations League in September.

That record is a clear contrast with both teams’ current runs. It gives Croatia a reason for confidence, though their recent results in the competition show that another difficult test awaits.

Our prediction

Croatia have the edge, with their unbeaten record in the five most recent meetings and stronger scoring return offering reasons to favour them. The recent losing runs make a home win far from certain, and a draw or Czechia response remain plausible outcomes.