Euro 2020 qualifiers: Wales v Croatia preview, free football tip & TV details

Football tips, best bets and predictions for Wales v Croatia in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event and Football, 7.45pm Sunday

Best bet

Both teams to score
1pt Evs RedZone

Back this tip with bet365

Team news

Wales
Harry Wilson and Tom Lawrence are carrying minor injuries and were not deemed fit enough to start the 1-1 draw against Slovakia. Aaron Ramsey (thigh) did not travel to Trnava and is a doubt.

Croatia
Marcelo Brozovic serves a one-game ban and Matej Mitrovic had to withdraw from the squad with an injury.

Match preview

Wales seemed happy to settle for a point in Slovakia on Thursday, but they usually adopt a more attacking approach at home and can contribute to a high-scoring game against Croatia in Cardiff.

Wales remained fourth in Group E, six points behind leaders Croatia, after their 1-1 draw in Trnava, although they have played one game fewer than the teams above them.

They may fancy their chances of winning November fixtures away to Azerbaijan and at home to Hungary, but anything less than a victory over Croatia would leave them at the mercy of other results.

Wales had just 30 per cent possession away to Slovakia and are unlikely to have midfield control against Croatia, who are strong in the centre of the park despite the absence of Inter's Marcelo Brozovic, who has triggered a one-match for three yellow cards.

Fiorentina's Milan Badelj and Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic are candidates to come into the side but Wales's main worry will be trying to get to grips with Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, who remain world class despite their advancing years.

Wales may have to play on the counter-attack but they have to tools to expose a suspect Croatia defence.

Gareth Bale will be given plenty of respect and attention but Croatia will need to be equally focused on the threat of Manchester United's Dan James, who is becoming more influential for club and country.

James got the Welsh campaign up and running with an excellent strike in the 1-0 home victory over Slovakia in March and the teenager's superb run and cross laid on a headed goal for Kieffer Moore on Friday.

His pace is an obvious threat to the visitors, who are not the quickest in defence. Centre-back Dejan Lovren remains first-choice despite making just one Premier League appearance for Liverpool this season and goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic is not in the same class as Danijel Subasic, who has retired from international football.

There is increasing evidence that Croatia's powers of resistance have waned since the 2018 World Cup final and they have kept just two clean sheets kept in their last ten matches.

One of those was on Friday when Croatia won 3-0 at home to Hungary, taking them three points clear of Slovakia at the top.

They need just one more victory to make certain of reaching the finals and would much rather get it against Wales than leave everything riding on a home match with Slovakia next month.

It is in Croatia's nature to play attacking football and, despite the absence of an elite centre-forward, they are the group's top scorers with 13 goals in six games.

Croatia would expect to add to that tally against Wales, whose defence is likely to feature the Sky Bet Championship centre-back pairing of Swansea's Joe Rodon and Charlton's Tom Lockyer.

However, they may struggle to keep Wales at bay and backing both teams to score appeals.

Key stat

Both teams have scored in eight of Croatia's last ten matches.

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