Croatia and Argentina meet in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Both teams met in the group stage of the last tournament, but Croatia had a longer run, reaching the finals. Can Argentina beat Croatia to reach the finals, or will the Blazers make it two consecutive appearances in the World Cup final?
While the bet on Argentina looked winnable in the previous round, they survived a scare against the Netherlands to reach the final four of this competition. After a comfortable win against Australia in the previous round, the Argentines looked set for another routine win but were made to qualify through penalties despite a two-goal advantage.
Croatia bagged its second penalty shootout win in this tournament to qualify for the semi-finals. Their conservative style of play was enough to eliminate a star-studded Brazil team. Croatia is one win away from matching their best result at the FIFA World Cup.
| Tournament: | FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 Playoffs, Semifinal 1 |
| Venue: | Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, Qatar |
| Date: | 2:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, 13 December 2022 |
Argentina is the favorite to win against Croatia. They are priced at 1.83 (5/6) to secure victory in normal time, while the bet on Croatia is worth 5.00 (4/1). A draw outcome in regulation time is worth 3.50 (5/2).
Both teams had to wait until penalties to secure qualification in the previous round. The odds for Argentina to qualify are set at 1.40 (2/5), while Croatia’s odds of reaching the final are worth 2.88 (15/8).
Many sportsIn-play modeLive streaming25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsLive bettingMany sportsFast payoutsWith Brazil out of the competition, Argentina is the second favorite to win the World Cup behind France. They are one of the best teams in this tournament and have not lost a game since their shock defeat to Saudi Arabia. Emiliano Martinez was the hero in the previous round against the Netherlands, saving two penalties in the shootouts to give his team the win. Argentina has a 78% win rate in all competitions this year, and with Lionel Messi in top form, they would fancy their chances of a win against Croatia.
Croatia continued its fine form this year, ending Brazil’s hopes of a World Cup win in the quarterfinals. Despite picking up one win in 90 minutes in this tournament, they have made the semi-finals. Croatia is currently unbeaten in the FIFA World Cup despite conceding the first goal in 60% of their games. Zlatko Dalic has set up his team to play in a conservative style and they have shown composure in penalty shootouts. The Blazers would be hoping for a repeat scoreline of their last meeting with Argentina – a three-nil win in the last World Cup group stage.
Both teams have met twice in all competitions, with one win apiece. Croatia emerged victorious in the last game against Argentina in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina: DWWWL
Croatia: DDDWD
Argentina has kept just two clean sheets in five games at the World Cup 2022. They have conceded in their last two games and often struggled late in the second half. Argentina’s defense has let in three goals in their last two games, and Croatia has enough quality in attack to get on the scoresheet against the Copa America champions. Croatia has scored in two consecutive games and has a total of six goals in five games in this tournament.
Like Argentina, Croatia has recorded just two clean sheets in five matches. The Blazers have conceded at least once in their last two matches – against Japan in the last-16 and Brazil in the quarterfinals. Argentina has a very good attack and scored in all World Cup games with a total of nine goals in five matches. A bet on both teams to get on the scoresheet is a good option in the WC 2022 semifinal betting.
Argentina has outperformed Croatia in this tournament. They have been more convincing in this tournament, scoring two goals in each of their last four games. Croatia’s only win in normal time came against an inexperienced Canadian national team. The South American champions have improved a lot since its defeat to Croatia in the previous World Cup and are favorites to qualify. Backing Argentina to qualify is a much safer option in this fixture.
Lionel Messi is one of the top performers in this tournament. He is the second-highest goalscorer in this tournament, with a total of four goals in five matches. The former Barcelona star has scored in his last two matches and is the main outlet for goals in the Argentine national team. Backing Lionel Messi to get on the scoresheet is a good bet on football goalscorer market with great value.
Angel Di Maria recovered from injury and got minutes in the extra time against the Netherlands. He is fit and expected to start against Croatia. Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel are suspended and unavailable for selection, while Papu Gomez is injured.
Croatia has all players fit and available for selection against Argentina.
Only four teams are remaining in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Argentina and Croatia battle for a spot in the finals of this tournament, and there are interesting picks in this game. Using our football betting tips and predictions, you can get the best offers from this game.
