Croatia will look to take back first place in Group A when it faces off against Serbia in the World Cup qualifiers on Friday.
The top team in each group wins an automatic spot in Brazil next summer while team that winds up in second place must take another second place team in a two-legged playoff to earn a spot in the World Cup.
Croatia currently has 16 points in seven matches and trails first place Belgium by only three points. With a win on Friday, Croatia will guarantee one of the top two spots in the group and could even be in first place if Scotland manages to defeat Belgium in their match on Friday.
The Croats started their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over Macedonia before drawing 1-1 against Belgium. In their third match the Blazers managed a convincing 2-1 victory over Macedonia before they took down Wales 2-0. A 2-0 win over Serbia followed and a 2-1 victory over Wales pulled Croatia away from the rest of the pack. However, the momentum came to a surprising halt when Croatia fell 1-0 against Scotland at home in its latest qualifier.
Serbia is on its last legs and must win against Croatia to maintain any hope of finishing second in the group. With only 7 points in seven matches, the team needs to win its remaining three games and pray for losses to Croatia in its final three matches, including Friday's encounter.
Prediction: Croatia wins 3-0.
Start Time: 2:45 PM EST
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
