Croatia are favored after dominating head-to-head history (4 wins, 3 draws, no losses in their last 7 meetings) and superior current form, having beaten Czech Republic 2-1 in September 2026 while Czech Republic has lost all five group games this season. Czech Republic will be without captain Ladislav Krejčí due to suspension, and multiple expert predictions specifically forecast a Croatia victory, though Croatia's recent 2-1 loss to England on November 12 and several key injuries provide some un