Argentina vs Croatia Prediction – 2022 World Cup: Who Will Win?

Argentina vs Croatia Preview

Make sure you make yourself a cup of tea and tune in to the action approximately 30 minutes before the planned kickoff so that you can enjoy the build-up and the atmosphere of this Argentina vs. Croatia semi-final, which will be aired live on ITV 1. You do not want to watch this important game late because of what is at stake; it will undoubtedly be filled with drama.

How did Argentina and Croatia both make it through to the FIFA Qatar World Cup final four? The teams that both of these sides had to defeat in order to secure a place in the Semi-Finals are described in detail below.

Argentina

• Round of 16: Argentina 2 Australia 1
• Quarter-Finals: Netherlands 2 Argentina 2 - Argentina win 4-3 on penalties

Croatia

• Round of 16: Croatia 1 Japan 1 - Croatia won 3-1 on penalties
• Quarter-Finals: Croatia 0 Brazil 0 - Croatia won 4-2 on penalties

🏠 Argentina Form and Team News

When considering placing a football wager, it is always a good idea to have a deeper look at how both sides have progressed to this point in such a large competition. This is because form is an important factor to have in mind when placing a wager on any football match, regardless of the level.

Few football bettors would have placed their money on Argentina's 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia to open their World Cup campaign, especially after Lionel Messi opened the score from the penalty spot with little time left. The Saudis, on the other hand, made a significant surprise by displaying a tonne of heart and talent. Argentina had no margin for error after that because one more loss in the Group Stage would have eliminated them. They went on to defeat Poland and Mexico 2-0 in their next two group games to finish first and maintain their chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

They faced Australia in the Round of 16 after taking first place in their group, and many predicted it would be a piece of cake for the Argentinians. Australia, on the other hand, shown great energy, and with a little bit of luck, they might have been able to force extra time. In the end, Argentina won 2-1, and Australian goalkeeper Matt Ryan will remember this game for a while because it was his careless error that lost his team the second goal, which ultimately proved to be the game-winner.

This was one of the feistiest matches of the World Cup so far, and the victory over the Australians secured them a position against the Netherlands in the Quarterfinals. Overall, the terrible referee issued 13 yellow cards, but he also chose not to dismiss Messi and Paredes for reasons that are only known to him. While the latter purposefully handled the ball and did not receive a yellow card, the former intentionally caused a mass melee by kicking the ball into the Dutch dugout after a fairly late tackle.

Argentina was up 2-0 before Wout Weghorst scored a dramatic goal, including a superbly executed free-kick to force overtime. The Argentinians eventually prevailed on penalties. Every neutral in the world will be rooting for Croatia to advance to yet another World Cup final because Argentina is a bitter loser and an even worse winner.

Due to the high number of cards given out, Argentina's manager, Lionel Scaloni, may have to cope with a few bans for this game. In this match, Marcos Acua and Gonzalo Montiel both received their second caution of the tournament, excluding them from the semi-final with Croatia. Although Scaloni will be unhappy that these two players are suspended, it is fair to argue that he has enough players of comparable calibre at his disposal to fill their spots.

Argentina starting Lineup

Scaloni used a 5-3-2 formation for the match against the Netherlands, but we predict that he will switch to a 4-3-3 configuration for this Semi-Final because Croatia lacks the same attacking talent that the Netherlands does. In truth, Croatia intends to play this game as long as possible and counterattack. In light of this, the 11 players listed below are our predictions for Scaloni's starting lineup on Tuesday night:

• E. Martinez
• N. Molina
• C. Romero
• N. Otamendi
• N. Tagliafico
• R. De Paul
• E. Fernández
• A. Mac Allister
• A. Di Maria
• L. Messi
• J. Álvarez

If this starting lineup falls short against a strong Croatian team, Scaloni has a strong bench of players he can use to attempt and change the momentum. The likes of Gomez, Correa, Dybala, and Paredes are examples of this.

⭐ Argentina Players to Watch

Although it isn't their finest Argentinian team, there is still a lot of talent there that Croatia should be aware about. You should pay particular attention to the following three players during this Semi-Final:

• Lionel Messi: Many football fans will probably be relieved not to see Messi take the Cup on December 18 as the continual discussion about Messi from the analysts is becoming increasingly nauseating. Yes, he is a great good player, but we do not need to magnify everything he does. It will be intriguing to see how Croatia stops him, even if they will be pretty certain that they can. Croatia will be aware of the threats that he may pose.
• Julián Álvarez: Even though he is only 22 years old, the young man has already demonstrated to all of us that he has what it takes to rank among the top wingers in the world. He has three goals in this World Cup in Qatar, and he will be quite sure that he can trouble the Croatia defence on several occasions. If Croatia gives him enough time to shoot, they might end up playing a third-fourth play-off rather than the championship game.
• Emi Martinez: There is a chance that this game may go to penalties, and if it does, Martinez is unquestionably a player to watch. If it comes to penalties, the Aston Villa goalkeeper is likely one of the best keepers in the world, and the Argentinians will support him to win. If he does manage to make a few saves, though, we could all use a little less dancing.

☍ Croatia Form and Team News

Croatia had three games, one victory, two draws, and placed second in their group. Morocco taking first place in this group came as a great surprise to many football bettors who had Belgium and Croatia as the two teams they thought would advance to the Round of 16. Despite being more thrilling than most 0-0 ties we see, Croatia's opening match of the Qatar World Cup against Morocco finished without a goal.

They met Canada in the second game of the Group Stage, aware that a victory would increase their chances of making the playoffs. When Alphonso Davis scored a thunderous header early on, they were rattled, but the Croats found their rhythm and defeated Canada 4-1. Croatia knew that a draw against Belgium in their final encounter of the group stage would be sufficient to advance them. They also drew this game 0-0, which resulted in Belgium being eliminated and Japan and them meeting in the Round of 16.

Croatia was the slight favourite for their knockout match against Japan, but they were aware that Japan was no pushover because they had defeated both Germany and Spain to advance. Regular football fans were unsurprised when this match finished in a draw after 90 minutes because seven of Croatia's previous eight knockout games in international competitions had required extra time. The match went to penalties after the additional 30 minutes because not much had happened, and Japan took some of the worst penalties you will ever see. Croatia demonstrated to them how to properly take penalties, winning the penalty shootout 3-1 to secure their place in the quarterfinals.

Croatia faced Brazil in the round of eight, and few football gamblers would have predicted that they would progress to the championship game. The midfield of Croatia, which is their strong suit, is led by L. Modri, M. Brozovi, and M. Kovai, who controlled the game to prevent Brazil from dominating it. Despite this, Croatia attacked very bluntly, and we soon had the impression that this would be another Croatia game decided by extra time or penalties.

After 90 minutes of play, the score remained 0-0 once more. In the 106th, Neymar scored a well-executed goal to break the tie. With only minutes left, Petkovic managed to level the score thanks to some shoddy defensive play, and the game was decided on penalties. In order to help Croatia defeat Brazil 4-2 on penalties and send them dancing to the airport, Dominik Livakovic made a few excellent saves.

Croatian players faced the possibility of missing out on a semi-final if they received a booking against Brazil, but all four players avoided receiving one, therefore Zlatko Dali will not have any players suspended for this crucial match. He doesn't have any injuries to worry about either, but his players must be quite worn out after playing for so many extra minutes. A squad reaching the semifinals after winning just one game and drawing four others does seem a little strange.

Croatia starting Lineup

Croatia started the match in a 4-3-3 configuration when they defeated Brazil in the Quarterfinals, and we believe that they will do the same against Argentina. We're very sure Dali will opt to start with the same starting lineup as he used against Brazil. He does not have the same depth in his team as countries like Argentina, which is the main reason we assume this. In light of this, the following is our anticipated XI:

• D. Livaković
• J. Juranović
• D. Lovren
• J. Gvardiol
• B. Sosa
• L. Modrić
• M. Brozović
• M. Kovačić
• A. Kramarić
• B. Petković
• I. Perišić

⭐ Croatia Players to Watch

Even though it is a small nation, Croatia has always managed to produce some of the game's best players. Here are three Croatians to keep an eye out for when they take on Brazil on Tuesday, December 13th:

• Dominic Livaković: Croatia boasts a capable goalkeeper who has demonstrated his abilities to stop penalties. The Croatian goalkeeper was crucial in both shootouts against Japan and Brazil, and if the match against Argentina goes to penalties, Croatia will depend on him to pull another rabbit out of a hat. He demonstrated that he is more than simply a penalty kick stopper during the 120 minutes of play by repeatedly stopping Neymar. Watching him play against another talented offence will be interesting.
• Luka Modrić: Modri is one of those athletes who seems to get better with age, but Ronaldo's talent has drastically deteriorated with advancing years. He is still one of the finest players in the world, and if Argentina would simply let him play his regular game, he would drag them all over the field and out of shape, giving his teammates room to work. He is not afraid to score goals and has the ability to make a pass that no one can see. If Croatia advances to the final, Modri will undoubtedly have had a significant impact.
• Joško Gvardiol: Even though he is only 20 years old, this defender has been among the best at this World Cup, and it is likely that by this time next year, he will be playing for a team that is superior to RB Leipzig. Real Madrid or PSG making a sizable offer for his services wouldn't come as a surprise. We anticipate watching how he stops Argentina's strikers since he has been a key factor in why Croatia has been so difficult to score against.

💯Argentina vs Croatia Betting Odds

If you are thinking about making any football predictions for this semi-final game, you'll certainly want to do it with the help of some of the best World Cup 2022 betting odds. Match Winner and Total Goals Scored are the two betting markets that football bettors prefer to wager on during the World Cup. The odds that are offered for the two aforementioned markets are listed below.

⚡ Match Winner

Outcome
Argentina to Win	1.88	1.85	1.91	1.91
Croatia to Win	4.50	4.80	4.80	4.50
Draw	3.30	3.20	3.30	3.20

🔥 Both Teams to Score

Both to Score
Yes	2.10	2.18	2.10	2.10
No	1.65	1.57	1.67	1.67

🥅 Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Over/Under
Over 2.5 Goals	2.40	2.50	2.38
Under 2.5 Goals	1.55	1.48	1.53

🥇 Who Will Win? Argentina vs Croatia Prediction

Who would we bet on to win if we were to place a wager on this Semi-Final game through an online sportsbook? We expect this to be another close game, so we wouldn't be shocked if penalties and extra time were used. While Croatia's best chance of winning is to extend the game as long as possible, we believe Argentina has the talent to win in 90 minutes. Therefore, our World Cup wager is on Argentina to win by a score of 1-0 after 90 minutes.

Our match prediction: Argentina to win.

🔍 Our Argentina vs Croatia Betting Tips?

What further World Cup picks do we have for this Semi-Final matchup? Given that both sides have excellent defensive records, we do not anticipate this game to be high-scoring, therefore you might want to consider betting on the under 2.5 goals market. Additionally, Messi is a player to consider betting on if you want to predict who will score first.

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