Both Croatia and England upset the odds reaching the Semi-Finals of the 2018 World Cup, and whoever wins this clash would have a tremendous opportunity to battle for the world champions title as a surprising finalist of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Croatia made it to the last four for the second time in the history, while England reached the semis after a painful 28-year drought, so the bettors can expect a pure spectacle when the Blazers meet the Three Lions on this Wednesday, July 11th, 2018, at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Croatia vs. England
3-Way: 1: Croatia +250; X: +210 Draw; 2: England +137 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Croatia +130; England -163
Total +2: Over -111; Under -103
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: +104/-143
CROATIA
The Blazers have dominated over their rivals in the Group D, smashing Nigeria 2-0, Argentina 3-0, and Iceland 2-1 respectively, as it looked all nice and easy for Zlatko Dalic’s boys. They’ve shown some beautiful short-passing play on the back of their captain Luka Modric whose vision and creativity are invaluable for this Croatia team. Ivan Rakitic has been excellent in the middle of the park, too, while wingers Ivan Perisic and Ante Rebic both have provided plenty of scoring opportunities.
However, Croatia struggled in the knock-out phase to replicate those displays from the group stage of the 2018 World Cup, but the Blazers somehow managed to overcome Denmark in the Round of 16 and the hosts Russia in the Quarter-Final, eliminating both rivals by penalty shootouts. Therefore, the Blazers have been on the pitch for 240 minutes in just two games which will certainly affect their fitness. The keeper Danijel Subasic, the left-back Ivan Strinic, and the forward Mario Mandzukic are all having some injury problems but should be ready to start against England.
Counting only a regular time which means 90 minutes of soccer, Croatia has recorded five wins in the last ten games overall along with three draws and two losses with a 12:8 goal difference, while just three out of these ten tilts had at least three goals in the total. Four out of ten saw both teams scoring, whilst none of these ten encounters had more than three goals on the scoreboard.
- Croatia is at +130 to reach the Final
- Croatia is a +400 underdog to win the title
- Croatia is at +600 to be eliminated by a penalty shootout
ENGLAND
The Three Lions had a terrific start of the tournament with a couple of wins against Tunisia 2-1 and Panama 6-1, while in the ultimate game of the Group G they were beaten 1-0 by Belgium. It looked like a deliberate loss, as England ended in the arguably weaker part of the bracket, but they had a dramatic duel with Colombia in the Round of 16. Los Cafeteros were beaten by a penalty shootout, and the Three Lions have had a much easier job in the Quarter-Final clash with Sweden, earning a convincing 2-0 victory over the Blue-Yellow.
The prolific striker Harry Kane is leading this young England team, while also leading the race for the Golden Boot award with six goals on the account and the wages at -700 on BetDSI Sportsbook. The attacking midfielders Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard both look sharp and ready for the challenge, while the goalie Jordan Pickford could be their secret weapon, as the 24-year old has shown some remarkable reflexes so far, and he’s at +275 to win the Golden Glove. England appears like a well-organized, hardworking team capable to create scoring chances in sequences, having no injury problems among the squad.
In the previous ten matches overall, England has recorded six wins, three draws, and one defeat with a goal difference of 17:6, while seven out of these ten encounters had two goals in the total or fewer. England has kept the net intact four times in the process, and in five games at the 2018 World Cup, the Three Lions have recorded a clean sheet only in the Quarter-Final victory over Sweden 2-0.
- England is at -163 to qualify for the Final
- England is a +275 favorite to beat the 2018 World Cup
- England is at +500 to be eliminated by a penalty shootout
Croatia vs. England – Match and Odds Breakdown
Croatia possesses far more creativity in the middle of the park than England, no doubt, but the Blazers will certainly struggle physically and it could be a massive issue for the Blazers. England looks like a physically powerful team that can run forever, so aerial duels should be England’s advantage. Likewise, the Three Lions are so dangerous after set-pieces situations, and they could easily score from a corner-kick here.
The bookmakers expect to see a tight clash with no more than a couple of goals on the scoreboard, setting -200 odds on the under 2.5 goals, while +150 wages are set on the over. With the World Cup Final at the stake, I assume we shall see a patient approach on both sides of the field, but the opening goal would be a massive gamechanger that could easily lead to another. The odds are +105 on both teams to score in this one and it could be a tricky job if we get a goalless draw at the halftime.
I just cannot separate these two sides, so wagering on a draw at +210 sounds like a reasonable selection, although England could be a team with more fuel in the tank.
The Pick: Draw at HT (-110)
