Croatia vs France Odds, Team News, & Predictions – 03/20/2025

In the rematch of the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, Croatia will face France in the two-legged quarter-final of the UEFA Nations League with the first leg scheduled to be played at the Pojlud Stadium in Split on Thursday, March 20.

The last major fixture between the two sides was played out in June 2022 as Croatia recorded their first-ever win against France courtesy of a Luka Modric penalty which powered Vatreni towards a sweet win which was savored by fans across the country as revenge for the defeat in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.

Know more about the odds, moneyline, picks, and predictions for the crucial UEFA Nations League quarter-final between Croatia and France here.

Where to watch Croatia vs France

Here is when and where to watch the clash between Croatia and France.

Date: 03/20

Time: 03:45 pm ET

Location: Stadion Pojlud, Split

Where to watch: The match can be watched on Fox Sports and FOX Soccer Plus in the USA

Croatia vs France Preview

France and Croatia met for the first time at the 1998 FIFA World Cup final where Les Blues won 2-1 on their path to win the trophy at the end of the tournament. Since then, France has won five more matches against the 2018 FIFA World Cup finalists with three fixtures ending in a draw, and one ending in a 1-0 win for Croatia.

Croatia

With only two wins and two draws in their six group matches, Croatia somehow scraped through Group A1 ahead of Scotland who won both of their matches in November but the Scots paid the price for peaking too late in the competition.

Midfielders Luka Susic and Lovro Majer are out with a knee injury and a muscle injury respectively while forwards Bruno Petkovic and Igor Matanovic are also out with their respective injuries. A weakened Croatia side will still have most of their key players available for the both legs of the quarter-final but their bench strength is definitely diminished ahead of the matches against France.

France

Les Blues started their 2024-25 Nations League campaign with a defeat against Italy but bounced back with 4 wins and a draw to steal the pole position from Italy on goal difference.

Marcus Thuram has been ruled out of both legs of the quarter-final with a left ankle injury but Kylian Mbappe is back with the Les Blues after missing the November international break due to a disagreement with the head coach Didier Deschamps. With most of the French midfielders in top form, it would be a huge headache for Deschamps whether he should go with a 4-4-2 Diamond formation or a 4-3-3 formation.

Croatia vs France Under/Over Predictions

The Playoffs aim to facilitate the safest bets for the game. Have a look at the predictions for the game below.

France Total goals Over 1.5 @ +110 (MGM Bet): With Mbappe back in the squad and the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Adrien Rabiot, and Aurelien Tchouameni marshalling the midfield, one can expect several goals from the French side. Randal Kolo Muani is the top-scorer for France in the ongoing Nations League campaign and the Juventus striker might have to start on the bench which signifies the attacking threat posed by Les Blues.

Croatia vs France Player Picks

Ousmane Dembele (To Score a Goal @ +195 as per MGM Bet): One player’s name is on the lips of every football fan across the world as Ousmane Dembele has finally started living up to his potential after a troubled period with Barcelona where he only scored 24 goals in 127 La Liga matches. The forward is close to matching that number in the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season as he has netted 21 goals in 24 league matches apart from providing 5 assists.

Croatia vs France Match Prediction

The star quality in attack and the solidity at the back should ensure a happy result for Didier Deschamps who is left with only a few Nations League matches as the head coach of France as the legendary manager has decided to end his France stint with the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Our Final Prediction: A 4-1 win for Les Blues is the most likely outcome from the battle of two of the top sides in Europe with Dembele scoring a brace for the visitors.

ALSO READ: Italy vs Germany Odds, Team News, & Predictions

Mohak Arora

A stand-up comedian and a sports journalist with speciality in writing prediction pieces and features on football, cricket, and badminton. Over the last few years, I have contributed pieces to iGaming giants like Parimatch, 1X News, and Melbet.