The Matchday 6 World Cup 2026 qualifying clash between Croatia and Montenegro will take place on September 8 at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb. Croatia vs. Montenegro: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Croatia
Zlatko Dalic's side secured a 1-0 away victory against the Faroe Islands in the last round. This win marked their fifth consecutive victory in World Cup qualifying. Notably, Croatia kept clean sheets in 3 of their last 4 World Cup qualifying matches. In Group L, Croatia has conceded only one goal, the best defensive record in the quintet. Overall, Croatia is in 2nd place, having played two fewer matches than leaders Czech Republic.
- The team has scored at least two goals in 6 of their last 8 World Cup qualifying games.
- At home, the team has won 9 of their last 11 World Cup qualifying matches (2 draws).
- In 12 of their last 13 home matches in this tournament, Croatia has not conceded more than one goal.
Predicted lineup for Croatia (3-5-2)
Dominik Livakovic – Borna Sosa, Duje Caleta-Car, Marin Pongracic – Kristijan Jakic, Petar Sucic, Mario Pasalic, Toni Fruk, Andrej Kramaric – Ante Budimir.
Montenegro
Montenegro suffered a second defeat to the Czech Republic, again with a scoreline of 0-2. The team has only two wins in their last 7 World Cup qualifying matches (1 draw, 4 losses), conceding at least two goals in 5 of those games. Moreover, Montenegro has managed to keep a clean sheet in only one of their last 7 World Cup qualifiers. In the standings, they are in 3rd place with 6 points.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 7 of Montenegro's last 9 World Cup qualifying matches.
- Away from home, the team has not won in 5 of their last 7 World Cup qualifiers (1 draw, 4 losses).
- Montenegro has conceded first in 6 of their last 7 away matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Montenegro (4-4-2)
Danijel Petkovic – Igor Vujacic, Stefan Savic, Marko Vukcevic, Andrija Vukcevic – Andrija Bulatovic, Marko Jankovic, Milos Brnovic, Stevan Jovetic, Milan Vukotic – Nikola Krstovic, Stevan Jovetic.
Referee:
Felix Zwayer (Germany)
Matches – 17 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 93;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.5;
Red cards shown – 7;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 41%.
Match Prediction: Croatia vs. Montenegro
After scoring 12 goals in their first two matches, Zlatko Dalic's team managed just one goal in the last round. Despite this, Croatia fired nearly 30 shots at the Faroe Islands' goal, with only poor finishing preventing a bigger scoreline. Overall, the team does not struggle with converting chances: Croatia has scored at least twice in 6 of their last 8 World Cup qualifiers. This scoring prowess helps them consistently earn points, with an 11-match unbeaten run in this tournament, including 9 wins.
Montenegro does not boast a solid defense. Away from home, the team has conceded in 6 of their last 7 World Cup qualifying matches, keeping a clean sheet only against Gibraltar. Furthermore, in 5 of those games, they allowed at least two goals. Additionally, Montenegro has lost 3 of their last 4 away matches in this tournament, with their only win coming against the aforementioned Gibraltar.
My prediction: "Croatia to win and Total over 1.5 goals"
