Croatia Vs Slovenia Betting Tip: Draw – 7 September 2021

Stalemate in Split cannot be discounted

Josip Juranovic / Croatia ©IMAGO / ITAR-TASS 02.09.2021

Croatia Croatia Vs Slovenia Slovenia

Tuesday 7 September, 2021 – 19:45 (BST)
World Cup Qualifying
Pick: Draw
Odds: 3/1
Bookmaker: BetFred
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 6 September 2021)

Preview: With the top four in Group H separated by four points, Tuesday’s encounter in Split between the teams currently second and third could have a huge bearing on qualification, as Croatia set about avenging their 1-0 loss to Slovenia from March.

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Croatia – Cautious Croats to preserve perfect home record?

Marcelo Brozovic was the hero last time out in Bratislava. The Inter Milan midfielder found the only goal of a hard-fought encounter away in Slovakia four minutes from the end of normal time, earning Croatia their third win from five Group H outings (W3 D1 L1). They now await the arrival of Slovenia, whom inflicted the first head-to-head loss on the Croats in nine meetings back in March.

Atoning for that early setback, Croatia have picked up ten points from the twelve available to remain unbeaten in World Cup qualifying ever since. Their contests have not been the most enthralling, however, with an average of 1.2 goals (five scored, one conceded) the lowest of the six teams in Group H. This is largely on account of their outstanding defensive record, having banked four clean sheets thus far.

Key Stat: Croatia have only conceded one goal across five World Cup qualifying matches so far. However that did come in the reverse fixture between these teams – a 1-0 defeat in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana.

 

0-0 Draw
15/2

Betfair

 

Slovenia – More away day frustration imminent?

Saturday’s 1-0 victory at home to Malta has not only ensured Slovenia (W2 D1 L2) kept pace with the qualifying protagonists in Group H, it extended their unbeaten record on home soil to ten games. They even managed to end their Croatia hoodoo during this sequence, another 1-0 scoreline bringing up their maiden success on what was their ninth meeting back in March. A result they will be hard pressed to repeat in Split.

This is because Matjaz Kek and his players have been utterly hopeless on their travels thus far, beaten 2-1 and 1-0, respectively, in Russia and Cyprus. That makes it no win with just the two scored in their last four competitive away games (D2 L2). While only Cyprus – who netted their only goal of the campaign in their 1-0 win against the Slovenians – are finding the back of the net less with less frequency (0.8).

Key Stat: All four of the goals that Slovenia have so far conceded in 2022 World Cup qualifying were in the first half, as were all four of their goals scored.

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Croatia Vs Slovenia Betting Advice

With such low scoring averages in qualifying games involving Croatia (1.2) and Slovenia (1.6), we can probably expect another drab encounter similar to that which finished 1-0 in Ljubljana when the sides met in March. Slovenia clinched the spoils that day, claiming their first ever victory against Croatia, but are seemingly unlikely to repeat the feat after losing their two away qualifiers to date by the odd goal.

 

Croatia Vs Slovenia – Key Facts:

  • Sandi Lovric is Slovenia’s leading goalscorer in 2022 World Cup qualifying, netting one of his two efforts in his team’s 1-0 win against Croatia on Matchday 1.
  • That marked a first win in nine meeting against Croatia, who have seen each of the last three head-to-heads played here in Croatia (1997, 2002, 2003) end in a draw.
  • Just two of these teams ten qualifying matches thus far featured three or more goals, which is as many times as both teams scored in these fixtures.

 

Croatia can boast a 100% home record so far, achieved without conceding a single goal. Slovenia are an upgrade on Cyprus and Malta, though, even if they are a less accomplished outfit on the road. Each of the previous three clashes between the sides in Croatia ended in a draw and while the latest was the best part of two decades ago, with goals set to be at a premium a stodgy stalemate in Split could ensue.

Best Betting Odds – Croatia Vs Slovenia

Croatia – 3/5 (BetFred)
Draw – 3/1 (Betway)
Slovenia – 11/1 (Betfair)