On Monday, Croatia Under-17s will face Austria Under-17s in a highly anticipated European Under-17 Championship clash at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca.
Both teams are eager to start the tournament strong, aiming for a top-two finish in a group that includes Denmark and Wales.
Current Form
Croatia
Croatia returns to the tournament after successfully navigating the qualifiers.
They accumulated six points from three matches in the initial phase, advancing to the elite round where they secured their place by finishing second in their group, just ahead of Germany.
Croatia’s journey included a crucial 5-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland, showcasing their offensive prowess.
This year marks Croatia’s sixth appearance in the European Under-17 Championship, with their last knockout round appearance in 2015.
Austria
Austria, on the other hand, is making its first tournament appearance since 2019.
That year was challenging for them as they lost all their group matches. However, this time, Austria topped their qualifying group with seven points and continued their strong form into the elite stage.
They began the final phase with a win over Slovenia and a draw against Norway, culminating in a 3-1 victory over Spain.
Austria’s history in this competition has been mixed, with only two knockout round appearances in six attempts.
Team News
Croatia’s attack will be spearheaded by Mislav Cutuk, who finished qualifying as the team’s top scorer with six goals.
Defensively, Bayern Munich’s Ljubo Puljic and Dinamo Zagreb’s Marko Zebic will form a solid backline.
Austria will rely on Magnus Dalpiaz of Bayern Munich to anchor their defence alongside Valentin Zabransky.
In attack, Oghenetejiri Adejenughure and Philipp Moizi, who each scored three goals in qualifying, will be key players.
Predicted Lineups
Croatia U17s: Rajic; Pajsar, Zebic, Puljic, Mandic; Bakovic, Vojvodic; Durdov, Ahmeti, Huskic; Cutuk
Austria U17s: Kurz; Roka, Dalpiaz, Pfluger, Sorg; Music, Spalt,…
Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/news/croatia-u17s-vs-austria-u17s-prediction/4809
Author : editors@footballcritic.com (Jake Skudder)
Publish date : 2024-05-20 10:13:27
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