Published Jun 15, 1:46pm ET by
Demilade Adelekun - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jun 15, 1:46pm ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Jun 15, 1:46pm ET
Croatia and Ghana meet on matchday 3 of Group L at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with both sides coming off their opening fixtures against England and Panama respectively.
Luka Modrić captains Croatia at his sixth World Cup in a fixture that could decide who joins England in the knockout rounds.
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|---|---|
| Ghana | +420 |
| DRAW | +270 |
| Croatia | -155 |
Luka Modrić is 40 years old and shows no sign of slowing down. He moved to AC Milan after leaving Real Madrid and spent the season proving he still belongs at the top level. He sets the tempo, picks the passes, and decides when Croatia attack. Mateo Kovačić runs alongside him from Manchester City, providing the legs and the pressing intensity Modrić no longer needs to supply himself. Andrej Kramarić leads the line with 70 international goals. Joško Gvardiol, cleared after a fractured shin in May, anchors the defence at 22, one of the best defenders in the world at any age.
Croatia finished second at the 2018 World Cup and third in 2022. Zlatko Dalić has built a side that knows exactly how to grind results in knockout football. Against a Ghana side without their most creative player, Croatia's experience in decisive group games is the edge.
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Mohammed Kudus is out injured. That is the biggest story in Ghana's World Cup build-up and it shapes everything about how Carlos Queiroz approaches this tournament. Kudus scored the qualifying goal that sent Ghana to North America. Without him, the creative responsibility shifts to Antoine Semenyo, who arrives off a strong season split between Bournemouth and Manchester City, scoring 17 goals across the campaign. Iñaki Williams adds pace and directness from Athletic Club. Captain Jordan Ayew leads the line from Leicester with seven qualifying goals and the experience of a third World Cup.
Thomas Partey anchors the midfield from Villarreal, still the most physically imposing presence in Ghana's engine room. Ghana lost their last four matches heading into the tournament against Germany, Austria, Wales, and an opponent in the final warm-up, and Queiroz replaced Otto Addo after two of those defeats. The new manager has had weeks, not months, to prepare this side against Croatia's settled, tournament-hardened unit; that preparation gap matters.
Modrić and Kovačić controlling midfield against a Ghana side that just changed coach and is missing its best creative player. Semenyo and Williams have the pace to threaten on the break, but Croatia's experience in games that decide group positions is the clearest edge here. We're backing Croatia -155.
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Pick
Croatia -155
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