Croatia face an unbeaten Ghana in the final round of Group L at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with the result set to decide the section. The two nations meet in a competitive fixture for the first time in their history.
The 2018 World Cup runner-up and 2022 third-place finisher, Croatia recovered from an opening defeat to England by beating Panama 1-0 last time out, with substitute Ante Budimir scoring the winner. The clearest route to the next round for Zlatko Dalić's side is to beat Ghana, though a draw would likely be enough. In that scenario, Croatia could reach the last 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Ghana, managed by Carlos Queiroz, have collected four points with a cautious, defense-first approach. After a goalless draw with England and a 1-0 win over Panama, the African side have kept back-to-back clean sheets. Those results have all but secured their place in the last 32; they could even finish top of the group if they beat Croatia and England drop points to Panama.
The statistics underline Ghana's defensive strength: they allowed England just three shots on target, after restricting Panama to four. The historical numbers, meanwhile, favor Croatia. They have never lost to an African team at a World Cup, winning three of those meetings, and have never been beaten at the tournament by a side ranked below 40th — Ghana currently sit 65th in the world.
That said, Croatia's aging squad and waning attacking edge could make it difficult to break down Ghana's disciplined block. With a draw potentially suiting both teams under this format, a cautious 90 minutes in Philadelphia would be no surprise. Sports Illustrated predicts exactly that: 0-0.
With Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić pulling the strings in midfield, Budimir is expected to earn his first start of the tournament after his goal against Panama. Ghana, for their part, are likely to keep faith with much of the team that impressed against England.
Predicted lineups:
Croatia (4-2-3-1): Livaković; Stanišić, Šutalo, Pongračić, Gvardiol; Modrić, Kovačić; Marco Pašalić, Baturina, Perišić; Budimir.
Ghana (4-3-3): Asare; Senaya, Adjetey, Opoku, Mensah; Yirenkyi, Partey, Sibo; Williams, Ayew, Semenyo.
Image: Sports Illustrated
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