Croatia vs Montenegro Prediction 8 September 2025
Added on 06 September, 2025
A purely Balkan showdown awaits in the sixth round of Group L of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, as Croatia faces Montenegro.
Croatia have started the qualifying cycle in dominant fashion, collecting three victories with an aggregate score of 13:1. In their latest outing, the “Checkers” edged past the Faroe Islands with a narrow 1:0 win, but before that they dismantled Gibraltar (7:0) and produced a statement performance against the Czech Republic (5:1). Already the main favorite in the group, Croatia look firmly on track toward World Cup qualification.
Montenegro, by contrast, have found the going much tougher. They managed to take care of business at home against Gibraltar (3:1) and the Faroe Islands (1:0), but then twice fell to the Czech Republic by identical 0:2 scorelines. As a result, the “Brave Falcons” slipped to third place with six points and a negative goal difference (4:5) — a position that may reflect their ceiling in this group.
On paper, the gap in class between these two Balkan neighbors is significant. Croatia have proven they can beat even top European sides on home soil, and Montenegro’s limited attacking threat will likely leave them exposed. A comfortable win for the favorite seems the most realistic scenario, with a margin of at least two goals well within reach.
Croatia to win with -1.5 Asian handicap 1.77