Analysis and prediction for France vs Croatia: The visiting team will have no time to react.

Latest information on the France vs Croatia match lineups.

Ibrahima Konate has probably never had a worse 45 minutes in a French national team shirt this season.

A baffling handball resulted in a penalty for Croatia – although Kramaric subsequently missed. But that wasn't the end of it; the Liverpool center-back was substituted after the first half. Initially, the official Les Bleus X account suggested he was injured, but Deschamps clarified: it was simply a tactical decision following an underperforming display.

Despite being in good physical condition, Konate's chances of starting in the second leg are very low. Dayot Upamecano, who has been more consistent for Bayern, is almost certain to be chosen as his replacement.

Up front, Ousmane Dembele is likely to play a central role as in the first leg, but Deschamps is considering giving a starting opportunity to Michael Olise or Bradley Barcola – players who are highly capable of creating chances and are in excellent form.

On the other side of the pitch, Croatia reported no further injuries after their impressive victory, with the exception of Luka Sucic – the Real Sociedad midfielder who withdrew before the match.

With a 2-0 lead, coach Zlatko Dalic could well consider playing a safer game. Borna Sosa is likely to be brought in to create a defensive system with 3 center-backs and 2 wing-backs. In that case, Martin Baturina would be sacrificed to strengthen the defense.

The midfield will still be occupied by familiar warriors: Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic – two names that are never absent from Croatia's crucial matches.

Latest predicted lineups for France vs Croatia

France:

Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, T. Hernandez; Camavinga, Tchouameni; Olise, Dembele, Barcola; Mbappe

Croatia:

Livakovic; Caleta-Car, Sutalo, Gvardiol; Stanisic, Modric, Kovacic, Sosa; Perisic, Kramaric; Budimir

Latest football match prediction: France vs Croatia

When the final whistle blew at Stadion Poljud, all eyes shifted from Kylian Mbappe to the 36-year-old Croatian left winger, Ivan Perisic.

At an age when many players choose to retire or rest in less competitive leagues, Perisic still plays with the class of a true star. A sublime cross for Ante Budimir to head in the opening goal, and a superb volley to beat Mike Maignan at the end of the first half, left the French crowd speechless.

If Maignan hadn't saved Andrej Kramaric's lackluster penalty early in the match, Croatia might have secured their place in the semi-finals in the first leg. Nevertheless, the 2-0 victory is a huge advantage before traveling to the Stade de France.

For the French national team, this defeat ended their five-match unbeaten streak and sounded an alarm for the remainder of their campaign under Didier Deschamps, who will retire from the national team after the 2026 World Cup. More worryingly, Les Bleus' home form in the Nations League has become increasingly inconsistent, with only two wins in their last six matches, after previously winning four of their first five.

Meanwhile, Croatia – despite having gone through a three-match winless streak at the end of 2024 – has found a way to bounce back at the right time. They are currently on a six-match unbeaten run at home in the Nations League, but their away record is questionable. In the group stage, they failed to win a single match away from home.

However, don't be too quick to rule out Croatia. On their last visit to France, it was Luka Modric who secured a 1-0 victory with a coolly taken penalty. And now, after years of only losing or drawing, Croatia has achieved two consecutive wins against France – a strong affirmation that they are no longer outsiders in big matches.

Latest France vs Croatia score prediction

Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.France vs Croatiaas follows:

• Sportsmole:France 2-1 Croatia

• WhoScore:France 2-0 Croatia
• Our newspaper predicts:France 1-0 Croatia

When and where can I watch France vs Croatia live?

To watch the France vs Croatia match live in the Nations League, taking place at 1:45 AM on March 24th, viewers can tune in to the following channels:K+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. We hope you enjoy watching football.