Croatia aim to get their first points on the board in Group B of Euro 2024 as they take on Albania at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg on Wednesday afternoon. This game represents the first of the second round of fixtures in the tournament, and Croatia needs to bounce back from a scathing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Spain in their opener on Saturday. They showed some flashes but ultimately were tamed and limited to few chances, missing a penalty in the process and conceding three, leaving them at the bottom of the group. This is now a must-win for Zlatko Dalić’s men.
Albania had a tough start themselves as they faced reigning European champions Italy in their opening game. But it was actually they who struck first when Nedim Bajrami capitalised on a mistake at the back to score the fastest-ever goal at a Euros. Italy bounced back and answered with two goals of their own, but from there, it was a tight and competitive match-up. Albania showed that they were not just here to make up the numbers and had chances to level the game in the second half. They represent a dangerous opponent for the Croatians here.
The bookies have Croatia as the favourites, and that makes sense, given some of the quality players that they have in their squad. We’re due an upset in this competition, though, and Albania almost delivered it last time out. If they can perform to that level again, they’ll have a great chance, and that’s why they represent great value in the match-winner market. Bajrami’s confidence will be sky-high, and his odds of scoring first again are massive, so that’s worth a little play, along with Armando Broja being carded.
See the table with our top picks below:
| ⚽ Croatia & Over 2.5 | 69/50 @Royal Fortune |
| ⚽ Over 8.5 Corners | 67/100 @Mystake |
| ⚽ Albania Most Cards | 7/10 @Donbet |
Also, find out our predictions for the rest of Wednesday’s matches: Germany vs Hungary and Scotland vs Switzerland.
