2025/11/17 European World Cup Qualifiers: Montenegro vs Croatia ⚔️
This week in the European World Cup qualifiers, Montenegro will host Croatia. While Croatia is in the midst of celebrating their World Cup qualification, they’ll pause to face their neighbors in what promises to be an interesting clash of former Yugoslav rivals.
Montenegro: Still searching for a breakthrough 🔍
Montenegro has never participated in a major tournament. They came close before the last Euros, but eventually lost second place to Serbia.
2025 started well for them, with victories over Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands—matches they were expected to win. After that, they could only manage a 2-2 draw with Armenia and a 2-1 win over Liechtenstein, both in friendlies. Overall, they are competitive but far from the top tier.
Croatia: Favorites on a mission 🚀
Croatia had a disappointing European Championship last year, failing to win a single match or reach the playoffs. They bounced back in the Nations League, even beating France in March—though France returned the favor in the reverse fixture.
In World Cup qualifiers, Croatia have mostly lived up to their status as favorites, failing to score only in a goalless draw against the Czech Republic.
In the previous round, Montenegro faced modest Gibraltar. They won 2-1, but it was a tough match. Croatia then faced the Faroe Islands, who shocked everyone with an early goal. However, the favorites remained unfazed and secured a 3-1 victory, sealing first place in the group.
Montenegro vs Croatia: Key Stats & Trends 📊
Montenegro has lost 4 of their last 7 matches
Montenegro scores 1.3 goals per match and concedes 1.8 goals
50% of Montenegro matches feature both teams scoring, with an average total of 3.1 goals per game
Croatia has won 7 of 9 matches in 2025
Croatia scores 2.6 goals per match and concedes only 0.5 goals
30% of Croatia matches feature both teams scoring, with an average total of 3.1 goals
Probable Lineups 📝
Montenegro: Nikic – Radunović, Šipčić, Tuči, Marušić – Vukotić, Bulatović, Adžić, Janković – Krstović, Osmajić
Croatia: Livaković – Gvardiol, Vušković, Stanišić – Perišić, Sučić, Kramarić, Pašalić, Modrić, Pašalić – Musa
Previous Encounters ⚡
Interestingly, these two teams never met until recently, when Croatia won 4-0 at home in their first clash.
Prediction: Croatia to dominate ✅
Croatia are clearly the higher-class team and should win by more than a minimal margin, even without special motivation. Our pick: Croatia -1.5 goals (odds 1.85).
