UEFA Nations League: Les Bleus Are On The March In Split

Croatia vs France

The UEFA Nations League is back on the agenda this week folks and, among the mouth-watering internationals on view, 2021 champions France have a tasty clash away to Croatia to contend with. 

The Stadion Poljud in Split will come alive on Thursday in a sea of red and white, with a bright blue corner of France fans hoping to see a repeat of the 2018 World Cup final. Many of the players who starred in Les Bleus 4-2 victory over Croatia in Russia are still around and will be on show in this Nations League quarter final, which promises to be a cracker.   

Zlatko Dalic’s Croatia rounded off their group campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Portugal while Didier Deschamps’ France won 3-1 away to Italy; but with a four-month gap since the players were together the managers have their work cut out to prepare them in such a short space of time.

But that’s international football folks; and these two managers, who came face to face in the 2018 final, are experts. 

 

Talking Points

Can the Kockasti’s old guard still do the business?  

Croatia were the last team to join the quarter final line-up, along with Denmark, but they have been amongst the elite of world football for some time, with the class of 2018 among the finest teams of the last decade. Ballon D’Or winner Luka Modric is in his 22^nd season as a professional football and, at 39 years of age, he has racked up 184 international games, scoring 27 goals, and he is still his country’s natural choice of captain. An inspirational figure, Modric is a joy to watch with his brilliant ball skills, vision and an eye for the spectacular, and he still has a key role in Real Madrid’s La Liga title chasing team.

And Modric is surrounded by a collection of old boys who are also hoping for one last hurrah. Thirty-six-year-old vice-captain Ivan Perisic is still strutting his stuff with PSV Eindhoven, starring in the Champions League this term, and he’ll take a spot on the wing. The strike pair of TSG Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric and Osasuna’s Ante Budmir are both 33 years of age, while the midfield pair of Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic and Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic are also in their 30s. There is a great deal of experience in Croatia’s front six, but the defence has more youth, and 24-year-old Bayern Munich star Josip Stanisic and Manchester City’s 23-year-old centre back Josko Gvardiol are both ready to feature heavily in the UEFA Nations League 2025 highlights, against one of the most lethal attacks in world football. 

 

France’s striking front line

The early UEFA Nations League 2025 betting odds make Les Bleus second favourites to win the tournament at around 5.00, with Spain marginally shorter and Germany and Portugal also in the frame. And when you look at the striking talent available to Deschamps you can see why France are such a feared opponent.

France’s attack is spearheaded by the prolific Kylian Mbappe, who has 48 goals in 86 internationals, often playing off the wing. He’s still only 26 years of age, approaching his peak, and Mbappe warmed up for this match with a brace in an explosive six minutes of Real Madrid’s 2-1 win away to Villarreal at the weekend. The 27-year-old Ousmane Dembele recently tormented Liverpool as Paris Saint-Germain dumped the Reds out of the Champions League, while Randal Kolo Muani has three goals in the competition and is ripping up Serie A, with five goals in seven games on loan at Juventus. With PSG’s starlet Bradley Barcola also pushing for a place this is an attack full of goals.

And on Les Bleus’ trip to Italy last time out, the front men all took a back seat as Marseilles midfielder Adrien Rabiot helped himself to a brace.   

 

History

Les Bleus have bossed the head-to-head meetings, winning six to Croatia’s one and there have been three draws in all encounters, the most famous match being that win for France in the 2018 World Cup final in Russia. 

And in terms of recent form Les Bleus have the upper hand too, winning four of their last six games while Croatia have won two; but the hosts are unbeaten in five at home while France are unbeaten in five on the road, so something is about to give…unless we end up with a draw. 

 

Betting Tip

The draw is at SBOTOP odds of 3.10 and so is a home win, while France are at 2.12 to win in Croatia, a notoriously difficult place to go. The hosts have bags of experience but I expect Les Bleus to be on the front foot and I think the pace of Deschamps’ men might just edge it.   

   

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