Iceland-Croatia Statistical Preview

Probable Lineups

Team News

Iceland

• Iceland secured their place in the World Cup playoffs with a 1-1 draw away in Norway and the Scandinavian nation enter the meeting with Croatia on the back of 5 games unbeaten.
• With no pressing injury worries in his squad, head coach Lars Lagerbäck may name the same starting XI the drew 1-1 with Norway last month.

Croatia

• Croatia begin life after Igor Stimac after the former defender resigned from his post as head coach following the disappointing 2-0 defeat to Scotland.
• Niko Kovac has succeeded Stimac and the 42-year-old may name a defensive minded starting XI in order to avoid falling to defeat in Iceland.

Prediction

• Iceland host Croatia for the first of the double header between the 2 sides to determine who will take their place at the World Cup next summer. Iceland are unbeaten in their last 5 games and certainly head into the fixture on the better form.
• Croatia, in contrast, have won only 2 of their last 7 games, losing 4, but have since appointed Niko Kovac to replace Igor Stimac after he resigned from his post following the 2-0 loss to Scotland.
• The two teams meet for the first time, competitively, since 2005, where Croatia secured victory over Iceland, but they’ll find it much harder to overcome their Scandinavian counterparts this time around.

Iceland 2 - 1 Croatia