The Croatian national team opened the new cycle of the UEFA Nations League in Prague with a 0-0 draw against the Czech Republic. The match at the Fortuna Arena began at 20:45, with Italian referee Simone Sozza in charge.
This encounter was the first for Slaven Bilić in his return as head coach, marking the start of his second stint in charge of Croatia. It was also the first match following the era of Zlatko Dalčić, with Croatia returning to the pitch after falling to Portugal in the round of 16.
Bilić could not rely on Martin Baturin for the match, while Kristijan Jakić, Marin Pongračić, and Petar Musa were not registered for the game. The Czechs, too, had a new coach, with Spanish national Santi Den taking the helm, and the host entered the cycle weakened by the absence of stars such as Souček and Schick, along with several other players.
Croatia started in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Livaković – Stanišić, Vušković, Gvardiol, Perišić – Modrić, Kovačić – L. Sučić, P. Sučić, Ivanović – Matanović. On the bench were Pandur, Kotarski, Smolčić, Šutalo, Majer, Kramarić, Budak, Vlašić, Mario Pašalić, Beljo, and Mišić.
The Czechs took to the field in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Horníček – Coufal, Krch, Krejčí, Zmrzly – Šafránek, Král – Ambrož, Karbček, Šulc – Hložek. On the bench were Kovář, Knížek, Krch, Zmrzlý, Šebek, Sejk, Vitík, Bucha, Radosta, Macek, and Sacek.
Croatia applied high pressure from the start, waiting for a mistake from the Czechs. In the 6th minute, Luka Sučić made a pass from the right wing into the penalty area, but his attempt was blocked by the home side's defensive line. In the 11th minute, Ivanović finished an attack started by Kovačić, earning a corner. In the 13th minute, Croatia earned three corners, but none resulted in a goal. Perišić took one, but Horníček saved it, sending the ball back into the corner. Stanišić, under pressure, cleared it for a goal kick.
In the 18th minute, there were no major chances in front of the goalkeepers. The Sučić brothers were linked up on the right, but the Czechs remained well-organised. The best chance for Croatia came in the 23rd minute: Ivanović passed from the left, and the ball bounced to Luka Sučić, who shot with his right foot, sending the ball just wide of the far post.
The match ended with no goals, so both Croatia and the Czech Republic entered the new cycle of the UEFA Nations League with one point each.
