and Latvia are about to face off in a heated European Championship qualifier. This will be a chance for the two teams to bump into each other early in the season, with Croatia looking to continue their usual dominance and Latvia looking to buck the trend and set them up for the rest of the tournament.
Croatia came very close to winning their first ever major tournament trophy this summer, but they advanced to the UEFA Nations League final after beating the hosts 4-2 in the semi-final in Rotterdam, Netherlands. However, four days later, they were unable to win their first trophy after losing on penalties against Spain. Despite the regret, it proved that Croatia are still one of the strongest teams in the world. However, they still have a lot of work ahead of them, aiming to reach their sixth consecutive European Championship.
On the other hand, Latvia's performance in the European qualifiers has been relatively bleak. They lost all three of their matches in the group, failing to win either in Cardiff, Riga or Armenia. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that they had to accept defeat in their match against Turkey after being turned around in injury time. They have not been able to win in their last six official matches and this record is likely to continue against Croatia.
However, the outcome of a soccer match is not entirely determined by past results. Despite Latvia's bitter losing streak in recent matches, their main attacker Roberts Uldrikis scored a brilliant goal in March. This is a good indication that they have the strength to turn things around in the tournament.
On the other hand, Croatia has a very strong squad. 37-year-old Luka - still in excellent form - is on the verge of winning his 167th international cap. In addition, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic will form a very good midfield trio, while Ivan Perisic is the team's top scorer with 33 goals.
Overall, the Croatian team has a clear advantage in this match, they have strength and experience and are in excellent form. However, Latvia is not irresistible, they also have great players and tactics. Nonetheless, as things stand, Croatia is more likely to win. However, the results of soccer matches are always full of variables, so let's wait and see.
