Comments and predictions for France vs Croatia: The away team will not be able to react in time

Latest France vs Croatia squad information

Ibrahima Konate has probably never had a worse 45 minutes in a France shirt this season.

A curious handball gave Croatia a penalty – although Kramaric later missed. But that didn’t stop there, the Liverpool centre-back was taken off at half-time. Les Bleus’ official X account initially suggested he was injured, but Deschamps has since clarified that it was a tactical decision after a poor performance.

Although Konate is in good shape, it is unlikely that he will start in the second leg. Dayot Upamecano, who has been in more consistent form for Bayern, will almost certainly be chosen as his replacement.

Up front, Ousmane Dembele is likely to keep the central role as in the first leg, but Deschamps is considering giving a starting opportunity to Michael Olise or Bradley Barcola - players with high ability to create breakthroughs and are very fit.

On the other side of the front line, Croatia did not record any more injuries after the impressive victory, except for Luka Sucic - Real Sociedad midfielder who withdrew before the match.

With a 2-0 lead, coach Zlatko Dalic can completely consider playing safer. Borna Sosa is likely to be brought in to create a defensive system with a 3-center-back - 2-wing-back formation. At that time, Martin Baturina will be the one sacrificed to strengthen the steel in the back line.

The midfield will still be home to familiar warriors: Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic – two names that are never absent in the life-and-death matches of the Croatian team.

Latest expected lineup 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 commentary France vs Croatia

When the final whistle blew at Stadion Poljud, all eyes were no longer on Kylian Mbappe but on the 36-year-old man on Croatia's left wing – Ivan Perisic.

At an age when many players have opted to retire or rest in less competitive leagues, Perisic still plays with the class of a big star. A delicate cross for Ante Budimir to head the opening goal, and a classy volley past Mike Maignan late in the first half left the French audience speechless.

Had Maignan not saved Andrej Kramaric’s poor penalty early in the game, Croatia would have secured a semi-final spot from the first leg. But a 2-0 win is still a huge advantage heading into the Stade de France.

For France, this defeat ended a five-match unbeaten streak and sounded a warning bell for the remaining journey under Didier Deschamps, who will leave the team after the 2026 World Cup. More worryingly, Les Bleus' home form in the Nations League has become increasingly unstable, with only two wins in the last six matches, after winning four of the first five.

Meanwhile, Croatia – despite a three-game winless streak at the end of 2024 – have found a way to bounce back at the right time. They are currently on a six-game unbeaten run at home in the Nations League, but their away form is questionable. They failed to win a single away game in the group stage.

Don’t be so quick to write Croatia off, though. Luka Modric was the one to give them a 1-0 win in their last visit to France with a cool penalty kick. And now, after years of losing or drawing, Croatia have won two straight games against France – a strong indication that they are no longer the underdogs in big games.

Latest France vs Croatia score prediction

Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the results of 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 to watch France vs Croatia live?

To watch live the France vs Croatia match in the Nations League taking place at 1:45 a.m. on March 24, viewers can watch onK+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. Wish you have fun watching football.