UEFA Nations League: Croatia Gears Up for Scotland and Portugal
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Loading... - Rehema Abbas
- 01 Nov 2024
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As Croatia prepares for crucial UEFA Nations League matches against Scotland and Portugal in November, coach Zlatko Dalić has announced a squad of 25 players, with an additional six on standby. The Croatian national team is looking to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the competition, and these upcoming matches are pivotal for their ambitions.
Croatia will face Scotland on November 15 in Glasgow, followed by a home match against Portugal on November 18 in Split. After four rounds of the competition, Croatia currently sits in second place with seven points, trailing Portugal, who leads with 10 points. Poland follows with four points, and Scotland is at the bottom with just one point. The top two teams from the group will advance to the quarter-finals, while the third-placed team will enter the playoffs to remain in League A, and the last team will be relegated to League B.
Dalić has maintained the squad he utilized in October, which includes four goalkeepers. The coach is awaiting a decision from the Disciplinary Commission regarding potential additional punishment for Dominik Livaković, who received a red card in the match against Poland, resulting in an automatic one-game suspension.
In his comments, Dalić emphasized the importance of monitoring players returning from injury over the next two weeks. He stated, “At the moment, several players are in the process of returning to the pitch after injuries, so we will closely monitor the situation and make decisions about possible new calls.” He also noted that the list was not expanded with players from the U-21 team to ensure they have the best possible squad for their upcoming match against Georgia.
Dalić expressed confidence in the team's current position, stating, “We put ourselves in a good situation ahead of the last games of the year, and now we need to take advantage of that and achieve our goal, which is the quarter-finals.” He highlighted the importance of focusing on the match against Scotland first before turning attention to the anticipated clash with Portugal in Split, which he described as a “spectacle” in front of a full Poljud Stadium.
The national team will convene on November 11 in Zagreb for training, continuing until November 14, when they will travel to Glasgow for the match against Scotland. Following that game, the team will head to Split for their encounter with Portugal.
Croatia is looking to defend its silver medal from the previous edition of the Nations League, where they topped their group, which included France, Denmark, and Austria. The team advanced to the semi-finals, defeating the Netherlands, but ultimately fell to Spain in the final.
Croatia Player List
Goalkeepers:
- Dominik Livaković
- Ivica Ivušić
- Nediljko Labrović
- Dominik Kotarski
Defenders:
- Joško Gvardiol
- Duje Ćaleta-Car
- Borna Sosa
- Josip Šutalo
- Kristijan Jakić
Midfielders:
- Luka Modrić
- Mateo Kovačić
- Mario Pašalić
- Nikola Vlašić
- Luka Sučić
- Martin Baturina
- Petar Sučić
- Nikola Moro
Attackers:
- Ivan Perišić
- Andrej Kramarić
- Bruno Petković
- Ante Budimir
- Mislav Oršić
- Marko Pjaca
- Marco Pašalić
- Igor Matanović
As Croatia gears up for these critical matches, the team and its supporters are hopeful for strong performances that will secure their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League.
