Croatia vs Gibraltar: prediction & betting odds 12 October 2025

The Matchday 8 World Cup 2026 qualification clash between Croatia and Gibraltar will take place on October 12 at the Varazdin Stadium. Croatia vs. Gibraltar: prediction and betting odds, statistics.

Croatia

Last Thursday, the team took another step towards direct qualification to the World Cup with a goalless draw away against the Czech Republic. Zlatko Dalic's men ended their six-match winning streak in World Cup qualification, but importantly, they did not allow a competitor to overtake them and maintained the top spot in the group with a game in hand. Furthermore, their unbeaten run in this tournament continues, now standing at 14 matches without a loss (11 wins, 3 draws).

• Zlatko Dalic's side has kept clean sheets in 5 of their last 6 World Cup qualifiers.
• At least one team failed to score in 5 of Croatia's last 7 home games in this tournament.
• The team's home scoring streak in World Cup qualification stands at 15 matches.

Predicted lineup for Croatia (4-2-3-1)

Dominik Livakovic – Kristijan Jakic, Marin Pongracic, Duje Caleta-Car, Ivan Smolcic – Mario Pasalic, Petar Sucic – Marko Pasalic, Lovro Majer, Martin Baturina – Franjo Ivanovic.

Gibraltar

The team predictably sits at the bottom of the group standings with no chance of moving up from 5th place. Essentially, Scott Wiseman's side is aiming to finally earn at least one point. Each of their last five matches in the current qualifying cycle ended in defeat. Moreover, Gibraltar has lost all 25 previous World Cup qualifiers in their history. However, it should be noted that they have only suffered heavy defeats in 2 of their last 6 matches in this tournament.

• Gibraltar has scored in 5 of their last 7 away World Cup qualifiers.
• The team has not lost with a +4 handicap in 6 of their last 8 away games in this tournament (4 wins, 2 draws).
• The team has never scored more than one goal per game in World Cup qualification.

Predicted lineup for Gibraltar (4-4-2)

Bradley Banda – Ethan Jolley, Paddy McClafferty, Bernardo Lopes, Julian Valarino – Carlos Richards, Graeme Torrilla, Dan Bent, James Scanlon – Tjay De Barr, Dylan Borja.

Midfielder Dan Bent has served his suspension.

Referee

Oleksii Derevinskyi (Ukraine)

Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/2025 - 2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 36;

Average yellow cards per match – 4.5;

Red cards shown – 2;

Average fouls per match – 21;

Penalties – 25%.

Match Prediction: Croatia vs. Gibraltar

The main question of the match is not about the outcome, but how many goals Croatia will manage to score. The team has often thrashed opponents before, but in 23 of their last 25 World Cup qualifiers, they have scored a maximum of 5 goals, with 6 or more goals only seen in away matches. At home in this tournament, Croatia has never exceeded 6 goals, and even 5 goals have been scored only once in their last 38 home matches.

Gibraltar has long been accustomed to heavy defeats, but despite their level, the team tries to hold their ground and avoid excessively large scorelines. As evidence, in 5 of their last 6 World Cup qualifiers, the team conceded a maximum of 4 goals. In away games, a similar trend is observed, with Gibraltar conceding no more than 5 goals in 6 of their last 8 World Cup qualifiers.

Prediction – Croatia Individual Total Under 5.5