Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
Malta
Match Time & Date:
11/11/2021
03:45 PM
Prediction: 0-2
Croatia
David faces Goliath at Ta’Qali National Stadium as Malta and Croatia take on each other in the 2022 World Cup qualifier. The Croats aim to put an extra pressure on Group H leaders Russia, and they are likely to go all guns blazing at the Maltese. All Mateo Kovacic, Josip Brekalo, and Nikola Vlasic have been left out of the squad through injuries, while Luka Modric should miss out through illness.
In their last group game Croatia shared the spoils with Slovakia, but it has to be noted that the “Vatreni” missed a number of clear-cut chances to score the winner. Malta, on the other hand, have nothing to play for in their penultimate group game. The hosts collected only one point in total from the previous four group matches, and seeing that Croatia are eager to overtake Russia in top position, we are tempted to put our money on the star-studded visitors.
Highlighted Player (André Schembri):
Andre Schembri is a Malta international who was born in Floriana on May 27, 1986. Schembri started his youth career at his hometown club Floriana, but he played for fellow Maltese side Hibernians at the start of his senior career. The experienced attacker scored ten goals in 44 appearances for the club before joining Marsaxlokk in 2005. After spending four seasons at the club he moved to Austria Karnten in 2009 and it has to be noted that he played on loan for the likes of Eintracht Braunschweig and Calr Zeiss Jena during his spell with Marsaxlokk.
Andre Schembri did not spend too much time in Austria as he moved to Hungary in the winter of 2010, signing a deal with Ferencvaros. The Maltese striker played for the likes of Panionios, Omonia, FSV Frankfurt, Omonia and Boavista before joining Apollon Limassol in June 2017. Andre Schembri signed a two-year deal with the Cypriot side and he quickly started paying off.
You should bear in mind that the Malta international scored four goals in the 2017/2018 Europa League qualifiers and, no doubt, he helped the Cypriot side book their place in the group stages of the European competition.
Highlighted Team (Croatia):
While the national football team of Croatia also played international matches between 1940 and 1944, they only resumed their duties in 1990 after the country gained independence from Yugoslavia. Vatreni enjoyed a remarkable start on the international stage, winning the third place on their first ever World Cup appearance in France in 1998, while crashing out in the group stage at the 2002, 2006 and 2014 tournaments.
Croatia also reached the quarter-finals at the 1996 and 2008 European Championships, proving they are rightly considered one of Europe’s top sides at the start of the 21st century. Long-serving captain Darijo Srna is their most capped player with over 130 appearances for the national team, whereas former Real Madrid striker Davor Suker is one of their most famous players and top scorer with 45 goals.
Other notable footballers to have played for Croatia include Luka Modric, Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic. Miroslav Blazevic and Slaven Bilic are the coaches that have been behind team’s biggest success stories up to date.
