Argentina v Croatia Betting Tips [13 December 2022]
Football - World Cup
13 December 2022 14:00
The match
A historic semi-final in the 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to kick off on Tuesday at the Lusail Stadium when Croatia take on Argentina. Croatia can become just the fourth ever team to make back-to-back appearances in the final of the World Cup while a Lionel Messi led Argentina will be looking to exorcize the demons of Brazil 2014 where they fell at the final hurdle to Germany. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was the hero for Croatia in their quarter final penalty shootout victory over tournament favorites Brazil, denying the Seleção Canarinho multiple times through the 90 minutes and extra time period. The Vatreni proved their grit and never-say-die attitude yet again, scoring the equalizer in the 117th minute of extra time after a Neymar goal at the end of the first extra time period appeared to have closed the book on Croatia’s run. The Croatians, contesting a penalty shootout for the second consecutive match, would ultimately prevail yet again to set up this mammoth showdown with Brazil’s fiercest rivals.
It was a heart-stopping quarter final match against the Netherlands for fans of the Albicelestes as Lionel Messi and company looked to be cruising to the semis with a 2-0 lead entering the final 10 minutes of regulation time. A Wout Weghorst goal to pull one back in the 83rd minute led to a nervy final few minutes which culminated in a Netherlands equalizer from a free kick in the 11th minute of stoppage time. Argentina were left stunned as they now had to contend with an extra 30 minutes of extra time and a potential penalty shootout looming. The match would ultimately go to penalties and it was Lautaro Martinez who was able to seal the deal for the Argentinians, cementing their spot in the final four.
Much has been made of Croatia’s style of play as the technically excellent midfield prefers to retain the ball while probing for openings. This can sometimes lead to low-scoring or tightly-contested affairs, as has been the case in the majority of the Vatreni’s matches in Qatar. Croatia have drawn four of their five matches so far, needing extra time and penalties to resolve their two knockout stage matches. The run is reminiscent of their performance in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where Croatia needed two penalty shootouts and an extra time victory to progress to the final after drawing all three of their knockout stage matches. Coming up against an Argentina side that had boasted one of the best recent defensive records in the world coming into this competition, this looks set to be another low-scoring match.Key Statistics
- Eight of Croatia’s last 11 matches have been level at half time.
- Croatia have failed to score in the first half in four of their five matches at the 2022 World Cup.
- Croatia have kept a first half clean sheet in five of their last eight matches.
- Argentina have kept a first half clean sheet in an incredible 13 consecutive matches.
The bet of our experts
With so much on the line, a nervy and cautious start by both teams certainly would not come as a surprise. In addition is the playstyle of both sides, who prefer to take hold of possession and patiently carve out their chances. With the bookmakers setting a low goals total at just two, it’s fair to assume the first 45 minutes will not see a ton of chances created by either side. For this reason, backing a first half draw at close to even money is our bet for the match.
If you want more information and predictions, check out the Argentina v Croatia prediction and betting tips at Sportytrader.
